Ragdoll Requiem
by Kamui Senketsu
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki is a goth girl with blood red hair, tattoos, sarcasm, and an axe guitar. She loves art & music, has an ocean of chakra, a killer other half, and a gross bloodlimit. Fuuinjutsu & rocking out are her calling. Luckily she has a Fox Demon, a handful of screws loose, & a knack for ruthless murder to keep things interesting. SLIGHT YURI. A DarkfemNaru & my OC centric AU.
1. Important Info

**All the elements that went into making this version of fem Naruto:**

**Marceline the Vampire Queen from Adventure Time with Finn and Jake.**

**Harime Nui from Kill la Kill.**

**Crona Gorgon from Soul Eater.**

**Mirai Kuriyama from Kyokai no Kanata.**

**Uta from Tokyo Ghoul.**

**Scorpion from Mortal Kombat.**

**Professor Franken Stein from Soul Eater.**

**Senji from Deadman Wonderland. **

**Rayflo from Vassalord.**

**And of course, the original Naruto Uzumaki. **

**I **_**DON'T **_**own any of the previously stated cartoons/anime/manga/video game(s) listed above. Nor any of the characters. They simply inspired me.**

**IMPORTANT INFO!: This is a non massacre fanfic. Minato is alive, and Kushina was the one to seal half the fox into Naruto and the other within herself. Also, Habanero-chan is dead. Honestly, the reason there is no massacre is because I believe Minato wouldn't allow shit to go down in his village he didn't like without squashing it. Plus, fuck Danzo, he barely has power in my fic. When Minato says jump, that bitch will jump. Hell, when he has to sneeze he better tell Minato or its off to the chopping block. Hate that one eyed jerk with a passion. He's the reason Shisui-chan had to die, and Itachi killed everyone, and Sasuke went bastard traitor who can't make up his mind.**

**I'm sure you get the point... I really dislike Danzo.**

**So yeah... the only Uchiha Minato allowed Danzo's ROOT to kill, were the elders, and the clan head, Fugaku Uchiha. Everyone else lives, and Uchiha are loyal to the village. Period. **

**Oh, and Minato is a little ruthless in this fic due to losing Kushina.**

**Naruto is still hated. Naruto isn't Naruto without that pain. Naruto's concept of suffering is what makes the blonde so relatable, likable, and understanding to the people around him/her.**

**Naruto's name will not be changed. I like the story behind why Naruto is the blonde's name. So I'm not screwing with it.**

**No one but Hiruzen, Kakashi, and the other Jounin knows her relation to the Fourth.**

**Also, Naruto is a member of ROOT with Shisui as her partner until she's eleven, the year before the Academy graduation. She focuses more on Academy life and living as a civilian for her undercover mission to protect Sasuke. As, word in the shadows is, Orochimaru wants the youngest Uchiha clan head son's body. **

**Naruto's ROOT codename Harime (Stitch).**

**Nuigurumi ningyo (Rag doll) is her bingo book entry.**

**Naruto's operative mask is the trademark porcelain white, designed to look like a rag doll.**

**Okay. I'm done.**

**Well, for now.**

**Stay tuned for the Prologue:**

**Sew My Heart Closed**


	2. Sew My Heart Closed

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image. Enjoy. **

_**Prologue:**_

_**Sew My Heart Closed**_

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki was euphoric.

She'd been delving into her father's forbidden Fuuinjutsu scrolls again while he was at the Tower, and then she scurried out through the back of the Namikaze estate so no one could see her just like Daddy said to.

The seven year old blonde was a genius in Fuuinjutsu. But... for some reason... that information didn't make Daddy happy.

She had even begun making her own seals, looking for a way to fly.

From what the young blonde could understand, people are not physically designed to fly. Their bones were too heavy. So, young Naruto-chan looked for a different solution for her predicament.

This, was why Naruto was euphoric. Even though she knew it probably wouldn't make Daddy happy, for nothing she tried ever did, the blonde was happy for herself.

She'd done it.

Naruto had figured out a way to defy the effect of gravity on humans with seals.

She took a simple gravity seal normal shinobi used to make cargo easier to carry on long missions, and she combined it with a chakra converting seal.

Chakra converting seals were used by shinobi to store up elemental chakra, so when they activated the seal with normal chakra, it released whatever element previously stored in the seal.

Naruto knew her chakra nature was wind, so by combining the two seals, she lightened her body weight enough to float, and concentrating her wind chakra allowed the blonde the ability to change direction.

This, was also the reason Naruto was floating around in her apartment, trying to steer herself just right so she'd stop bumping into things.

She was having so much fun, when suddenly, she lost control of her chakra, and fell on her face with a loud _smack._

"Ouchie..." Naruto whined, lifting her face up, and rubbing her bruised nose.

Little droplets of red fell from her bruised nose and speckled the scuffed hardwood floors.

"Aw dang it!" Naruto huffed.

Now she had to go hunting for a clean towel to mop up the mess.

She pouted.

The old lady at the laundromat never let Naruto in because she said Naruto was a demon, and always chased her off with a broom. So Naruto had to wait for Daddy to remember to send one of the quiet masked men to pick up her laundry to get it clean.

It was a real hassle, and Naruto was thinking about asking Daddy to snag her a bigger apartment with it's own washer and dryer. That would be convenient.

"It would also be convenient if blood cleaned itself up." The blonde sulked.

Imagine the seven year old's surprise when the four droplets on the floor began glittering, and they moved, yes _moved, _or perhaps, slid, is more like it.

Naruto gaped, the droplets of blood morphing together to form a bigger bead, and stretched-

"Holy Habanero in Heaven!" The blonde exclaimed, blue eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

The blood had formed a tiny little man.

It wasn't anything with intricate detail. Just a little blob that was minutely humanoid.

The blood surprised her even more when it walked, yes _walked _away and towards her kitchenette. It didn't even leave little footprints, even though it was supposed to be a liquid!

It took forever, because the little blood man was so terribly small, and Naruto was probably following it on her hands and knees for a good fifteen minutes, but she was just simply _fascinated._

The blonde had bled plenty of times before. What kind of kid didn't scuff their knees, or get paper cuts, or possibly get into fights with Kiba Inuzuka because he was a big bully?

Naruto sure did.

But still... never before had Naruto witnessed something so extraordinary. Not even when she first discovered the beauty that are explosive tags.

The blonde squinted, peering at the little blood man as it finally reached it's destination.

The completely behemoth form (compared to him, Naruto only needed a step stool) of a kitchen sink.

Naruto wondered how it would get up there, because there was no way it could climb. It didn't even have fingers. Heck, even if it did, there was nothing to hold on _to _on the way up.

Naruto really shouldn't have been surprised when the little blood man rippled, and changed form.

Now, Naruto's blood was a tiny pair of bat wings.

The blonde marveled as they began flapping, and rose higher, and higher, and _higher. _

Naruto scrambled to get her step stool from between the kitchen counter and her refrigerator.

She unfolded the metal contraption, and clunked it down before her sink, climbing it just in time to see the little red bat wings collapse into a blob, and splat into the sink.

Naruto stared at the wet blood splotch in her sink.

She grinned.

_"Cool!" _The child squealed.

She didn't notice a single strand of blonde in her bangs shift to red.

* * *

"Look at her!" Ami jeered. "She looks just like a tomato!"

"Yeah, a rotten one with all that yellow everywhere!" Katsumi cackled.

Fuki high fived both of her fellow bullies, and turned to sneer at the red faced Naruto.

The blonde had been experimenting with her cool blood trick over the weekend at home. It was Monday, but she thought it was still Sunday, and she'd forgotten about school playing with her blood. So, Naruto had gone to the Academy without looking into any mirror, in a rush because she was twenty minutes late, and literally brushed her teeth in the shower.

On the way, she noticed the glares from the villagers were a bit off. Like, they still hated her for a reason she couldn't fathom, but they were also curious about what was going on with her.

Naruto had absently wondered if she still had a bit of foam collected at the corners of her mouth from brushing her teeth.

The seven year old simply wiped her mouth with her forearm, and hurried along.

But when she walked into Iruka-sensei's classroom, all chattering had ceased.

Everyone had stared at her like she suddenly had sprouted another head.

And then, they began laughing.

"L-look at that hair!" Kiba had blurted.

"Omg she looks like a sunspot!" Ino guffawed.

The only people who hadn't laughed were Hinata, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino. They were all too quiet, lazy, emo, or polite to make fun of someone.

Naruto had blushed bright red in embarrassment, which only made the jabs worse, and scurried out of the classroom.

She really shouldn't have been as flabbergasted as she was when she arrived to the bathroom and the whole top half of her hair was a deep red.

_'Just like... blood...'_

Naruto had dragged herself back to the classroom, ignoring all the teasing from her peers to muse on why her hair was doing magic tricks.

She had come to the conclusion it was her neat blood tricks that made her hair change colors.

The ex blonde actually thought it was kind of cool... and that she looked more like the pretty lady in pictures in Daddy's office.

She thought it made her look more like her mother.

And that was pretty cool.

But, it was after school, and Ami, Fuki, and Katsumi didn't know when to _quit._

Naruto wasn't a very patient person by nature, but she had learned to stay calm, as you had to have a level head and unbreakable concentration to successfully use Fuuinjutsu.

But this was too much.

Naruto was a seven year old kid.

Her fuse was incredibly durable, but these dummies had followed her nearly all the way home, (near the red light district, the furthest from the Namikaze estate) just to make fun of her.

Naruto cracked.

She whipped around, clenching her fist in righteous anger, and glared, not realizing her fingernails bit into the flesh of her palms, and drew blood.

"Leave. Me. _Alone._" Naruto bit out.

Ami, the leader, stepped up, and shoved her lackeys back, crossing her arms and glaring right back at Naruto.

"Or _what, _Uzumaki?" The purple haired girl spat.

"Yeah!" Katsumi cheered. "What are you gonna do tomato face?"

"Tch." Fuki grunted. "You think you can take all _three _of us?"

By then, Naruto _did _notice she was bleeding.

And she smirked.

Red droplets coiled down from in between her fingers, and dribbled onto the ground.

The blood slithered silently across the distance between Ami and Naruto.

Naruto knew what she was about to do was kind of sick, and Daddy would be really disappointed when he found out that she got new powers and used them for such a thing. But, at that moment, she felt as if that disappointment was worth it.

If only to see these idiots squirm.

Naruto lifted one of her palms, showing Ami the blood that trickled out of the crescent grooves left from her fingernails.

"Ew." Katsumi stuck her tongue out. "Why the heck are you bleeding?"

"You wanted to know what I'd do, right?" The blonde asked conversationally.

More blood, _too _much blood, was spilling out of the grooves in the hand still at her side.

"Well, this is what."

Naruto walked even closer to Ami, bleeding hand outstretched.

"Ew, get that away from me! What are you doing?" Ami demanded.

The purple haired girl made to move back.

Her brown eyes widened.

Naruto's smirk grew.

Ami screamed as Naruto wiped her blood down the side of her face.

Fuki and Katsumi turned green.

"You're sick!"

"Freak!" Fuki blurted.

They tried to run too.

They couldn't.

The blonde was warm with morbid glee.

Naruto's blood had stitched the soles of their sandals to the ground.

The blonde giggled, watching as her bullies screamed in horror and disgust, flailing around, and yanking at their legs to unstick their feet.

"What the heck did you do you psycho?!" Ami shrieked, Naruto smiling at the blood still smudged on the other girl's cheek.

The cool thing Naruto had learned over the weekend from experimenting, was that she could do almost anything with her blood. She could make it eat through things like acid, she could harden it like crystal, she could make it dance... it was... awesome.

"Have fun trying to figure out what I did ladies." Naruto snickered, turning around and walking off.

"Where are you going?!" Fuki roared.

"Get back here! Let us go!" Katsumi screamed, sounding close to tears.

"I'll get you for this Uzumaki!" Ami screeched. "You better watch your back you _sick _freak!"

"Just try it." Naruto muttered darkly. "Try it and I'll do more than just scare you..."

The rest of her hair turned red.

* * *

Two weeks later, Ami never did make good on her threat.

She, and her lackeys were too terrified.

Naruto's hair was now a thick silky mass of blood red waves down her back, her long bangs curtaining the right side of her face. A pair of black goggles with burnt orange lenses sat atop her head.

She had taken to wearing a face mask, hiding everything below her eyes. It was thick black cloth, five safety pins positioned like elongated teeth across it's width. Under the safety pins was a silver zipper, that looked like a big gruesome smile.

Naruto's Daddy knew all about her blood tricks. And he told her it was a bloodlimit. One Kushina's Mother had inherited. It always skipped a generation, so, Naruto had awakened it.

Many bloodlimits/ bloodlines had weaknesses.

Sharingan blindness and hatred.

Byakugan a blind spot.

And Naruto's?

Increases in disturbing thoughts and macabre actions.

The new redhead giggled to herself, drifting passed Sakura and Ino and up to her seat beside Hinata. She had mastered flying, and to treat herself, the redhead had carved the necessary seals to defy gravity into her arms, and the bottom of her feet.

She had a blood clone of herself (yes she could make those) carve the necessary ones into her back. Because Naruto had always healed at a questionably accelerated rate, she had the blood clone tattoo pitch black ink into the scars before they could heal.

The blonde knew a guy in the red light district who did illegal tattoos, and he wasn't judgmental. So, for the right price, she bought supplies off of him. Money was never a problem. Her father was the Fourth Hokage for Kami's sake.

The problem was finding people actually willing to sell her things. Naruto learned almost no one in the red light district asked questions.

And that suited her just fine.

When the redhead's scars had healed over to baby smooth skin in one day, the black seals remained. They were drawn under the first two layers of the child's skin.

They weren't going anywhere.

* * *

After a month of playing around with seals and her bloodlimit, the redhead was on her way home from the Academy.

Drifting lazily through the air in a shadowed alley, the seven year old suddenly deactivated the wind chakra flow into the seals on her skin. Naruto's black sandals touched the ground. She didn't move.

"Who are you?" The redhead asked. "And what do you want?"

"My my," Came a hollow chuckle.

Naruto scowled.

An old man wrapped in bandages stepped out of the shadows, just for a moment to stare at Naruto with a single slit eye.

"You are a very talented young girl." The old man rasped.

"You've been watching me?" Naruto demanded, unzipping her mask quickly. Just in case.

"Yes." The old man admitted.

Appalled, the redhead bit her tongue, making to spit acid blood into the creepy old man's face.

Lucky for her, Naruto had become somewhat impervious to pain.

"Cease. Do not be offended, child." The old man lifted his only good arm, and held his hand in the universal sign for "stop".

Naruto swallowed her blood.

Her tongue scabbed over.

"What do you want?" The redhead asked again.

The old man smiled.

Something about that friendly look was entirely _wrong._

"You are no fool my child. And I can see that. So, I'll just cut right down to it."

Naruto crossed her arms impatiently.

"How would you like to work for me?" The old man asked. "I will teach you to be a truly formidable shinobi. One perhaps your father will take note of, hmmm?"

By Kami Naruto _knew _she was being manipulated. She _knew it. _But... then again... if the old cripple knew who her father was, he had to be a high ranking nin. He _had _to be _powerful. _And he could make Naruto powerful too...

_'And... and maybe getting stronger, can sew my heart closed... Even if it doesn't make Daddy love me... maybe being strong... will make it easier to know Daddy can't stand to look at me...'_

Naruto looked up, and walked closer with a determination she only had when a seal formula was kicking her butt.

She grasped that gnarled, calloused hand.

The cripple smiled hideously.

"Welcome to ROOT . You may call me Danzo-sama."

* * *

**End Prologue.**


	3. Let's Play Dolls

**WARNINGS: Foul language, Blood (lots and lots), Gore, and Insanity.**

**Just so you know, I listened to Unstable by Chaotica and One Reason by Fade over and over again while writing this, so... that's part of the reason this chapter is so twisted.**

**Also, this fic does NOT mean that I perceive all Goths this way. I have goth friends. Plus, I've been told (many _many_ times) I'm a weirdo, so I have no right to judge anyone else.**

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image. Enjoy.**

* * *

Four years under Danzo's tutelage, doing hush hush missions for him ranging from demolition to foreign country daimyo assassination, Naruto was instructed to tone it down.

Naruto was still kind of amazed her father had never noticed she was a ROOT, but then again, she always left a blood clone in her place, and her missions were never more then two weeks long, and he was a busy guy. The redhead never failed an assignment. Lucky for her, blood clones lasted two weeks until their cells decayed and they turned into smelly puddles.

Unfortunately, toning it down included Naruto going on a long term mission to be the silent protector of Sasuke Uchiha. Who was a target for the ex Konoha nin Orochimaru no Sannin. As his new body.

Ick.

Danzo was a man who had his hands in everyone's pies. Somehow, the old cripple even knew Itachi Uchiha was an ANBU operative, and on a mission to investigate the new Sound village, Orochimaru had attempted to steal Itachi's body. Only to fail.

Now the snake was planning to snatch up the next best thing. Itachi's little brother.

Thing was, Danzo didn't know _when. _And losing a potentially powerful ninja was a blow to the village. No matter how small.

Danzo didn't accept blows to the village.

And being Sasuke's classmate, naturally, Naruto was the one to watch over him.

But right now, she was on her last mission with her mission partner.

Shisui Uchiha.

The redhead had met the eccentric Uchiha a day after accepting Danzo's offer to power. He was already a full fledged ROOT operative at thirteen**(1)**.

Shisui had been in charge of Naruto's jutsu and kenjutsu training. Danzo handled her taijutsu and tactics.

It had only taken three months to whip Naruto into Black OP shape. If she had the right teachers, which she did, Naruto was a fast learner. Needless to say, Danzo had been extremely pleased, and placed her as Shisui's partner.

The Uzumaki and Uchiha duo were so in sync after four years of working and training together, if they were on a mission, one of them would silence the other before they even had a chance to _realize _they were about to sneeze.

Naruto's last mission in the field involved the complete extermination of a Jashinist cult traveling too close to the village Hidden in the Leaves for Danzo's liking.

Naruto and Shisui were crouched in the rafters of an abandoned warehouse occupied by said Jashinist on the border of Leaf forest and Wave country.

It was cloaked in shadows where they were positioned, the only light coming from the circle of candles surrounding a bloody pentagram drawn in pig's blood below.

Naruto's mask gleamed bone white in the poor lighting. It was shaped like a classic theater mask, but carved expertly into the porcelain was a large stitched grin, the left eye a small X, like a button popped off of a doll, and the right was a perfect circle, a devil red iris surrounded by a pitch black sclera peering through.

Shisui's mask was a normally shaped ANBU mask, the eye holes circular, and the mouth a large maw stuffed with saber like canine teeth. Both ROOT nin were dressed in black high collared jumpsuits, their respective clan emblems printed on their upper backs. Shisui wore a brown leather holster around his shoulders for his tanto, and Naruto two silver skull rings with ruby eyes on two of her fingers on each hand. The pinky and pointer finger. When she ripped off the rings, the hidden blades that were constantly clamped around her flesh scraped her skin off, causing her to bleed, therefore, making accessing her bloodlimit all the more easy.

The red head's arms were covered in intricate black runes, her fingernails and toenails painted a glittering black, and her mass of waves pulled back in a mid-high ponytail. Shisui's raven hair looked like it always did.

Like he just rolled out of bed.

Naruto's red and black eye peered down at her targets. There was eight Jashinist in the spacious room, surrounding the pentagram. A dead wild bore was tossed to the side, chest cavity split open, yellowing ribcage peeking through ruined flesh.

Four for Shisui.

Four for her.

Heh.

Naruto grinned beneath her mask.

"Hmm. Hm. Hm. Hmm. Hm hm. Hm hm. Hm. Hm. Hm hm hm. Hm. Hm."

"Naruto." Shisui hissed from her left.

"Hai?" She turned to the Uchiha, irritated midnight eyes looked at her through round eyeholes.

"Would you _please _stop humming the funeral march?"

Naruto snickered.

"Gomen ne, Shisui-kun." The redhead drawled. "I guess I'm just a bit excited about the fight."

"Can't you be excited _without _potentially getting us caught?" Shisui huffed.

"Hai hai~" Naruto placated, saluting her partner goofily.

Shisui sighed.

"Let's just get this over with." The Uchiha grumbled.

"Yes, _lets!_"

The two ROOT nin didn't even bother to be surprised, and lept to the rafters across from them.

Shisui left.

Naruto right.

The wooden plank they previously occupied was reduced to splinters by the red scythe blade of a manic eyed brunette.

Naruto yanked off her pointer ring on her right hand, and tucked it into the senbon pouch strapped to her thigh.

Crimson beads bubbled up from the torn skin, and the redhead stared into the the insane eyes of their first opponent, commanding her blood to flow _faster._

Naruto enforced her blood with chakra, forming a jagged hunter's knife with a wicked edge.

"Shisui-kun!" Naruto sang. "It's time to play!"

Wordlessly, the Uchiha shunshined behind the Jashinist, slapping a seal onto his back the same time Naruto drew one in blood on the wooden plank beside her head.

Shisui dropped down into the center of the circle of pig's blood. Disrupting the ritual being completed.

"Sorry to just drop in unexpectedly like this," The Uchiha shrugged, drawing his silver bladed tanto. "But, I've been ordered to crash this party."

He melted into a black blur.

The redhead slid the tip of her knife into the glowing blue seal, and the Jashinist began cackling as her blade appeared inside him via Fuuinjutsu.

"If you think that with stop me," The Jashinist sniggered. "You obviously have never seen one of our daily rituals."

"Who said I was done?" Naruto questioned curiously.

Shisui, down below, was wrecking havoc against the other seven Jashinist by slapping seals onto their backs, all while kicking their asses.

Naruto's opponent up above was equally curious, but his eyes narrowed, as he seemed to have somehow noticed Naruto's devilish eye crinkling in mirth through the darkness.

"I only stabbed you so my seal had time to take affect." The redhead sniggered.

"What have you done, little girl?" The Jashinist asked.

Naruto answered.

"**Blood Release: Acid Blood Infection.**"

The brunette's eyes bulged, Naruto slid her blade out of the wood, and evidently, the Jashinist's back.

Naruto watched as the brunette's mouth fell open, beautiful red pouring down his chin, lumps of destroyed flesh oozing out as her blood ate him from the inside out. His eyes, ears, and nose seeped ribbons of crimson fluids.

He gurgled.

Seeing he was thoroughly stunned, the redhead flashed into action, and got rid of him the only way you could with his kind.

* * *

Below, Shisui ducked under a blurring scythe blade, shunshined away from the next two, and beheaded one of the hostiles with his tanto from behind.

_'Where in the name of Madara Uchiha is Naruto!?' _Shisui mentally yelped, punting away the severed head that wouldn't stop _laughing._

The head nailed one of it's buddies in the crotch, stunning the guy enough for Shisui to shunshin and take his head too.

_'Naruto I swear to Kami if you don't-'_

Shisui took a step back, a mass of steaming, sickly pink entrails, and blood splattering across the warehouse floor.

_'Ah, there she is.'_

The severed head of the brunette he'd left to his partner crashed into the grisly mess on the floor with a loud _crack._

"Ow!" The brunette yelped. "She liquified me! She bloody _liquified _me!"

Shisui sped through handseals when the brunette's mutilated body came tumbling down from the rafters a moment later.

"**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu**!"

Crimson flames shot in a glowing jet of heat from the Uchiha's hidden lips.

The body was reduced to ashes before it even neared the ground.

"Hey!" The brunette cried indignantly. "I kind of _need _that."

"Sorry." Shisui shrugged.

"Three down!" Naruto called, lazily drifting down from the rafters. "Five to go!"

As if hearing that broke the spell of shock they were in, the five hostiles left charged at Shisui all at once.

_Screeeeech! _

Shisui blinked at the solid wall of blood that had erected before him, shielding him from multiple scythe blades.

"You guys were the worst possible opponents to be chosen for us." Naruto said.

The blood wall in front if the Uchiha sagged, and sloshed down to pool onto the floor.

To avoid being drenched, Shisui shunshined beside his partner.

Said partner, was suspended upside down in the air, her ponytail tickling the blood stained floor.

The five Jashinist she was behind turned around, hungry looks in their eyes.

"And pray tell, why do you say that, little girl?" Seemingly the leader, a silver haired, red eyed man, smirked.

"Because, you all thrive on blood. You must bleed to be effective in battle." Naruto explained. "And it just so happens my Uchiha friend here moves faster than the speed of sound. And I control blood. Not only my own, but whoever bears my mark."

Shisui shook his head.

No matter how many times Naruto did this, it never got old.

"Mark...?" The silver haired one trailed off.

"Shisui wasn't giving your backs high fives." Naruto hinted.

Five pairs of manic eyes widened to saucers, the three severed heads rolled their eyes at their cult member's stupidity.

"Did you know I draw those seal tags on your back with my own blood?" Naruto asked casually, still hanging upside down by nonexistent strings. "They double as a storage seals full of one pint of my blood. And when Shisui-kun slaps them onto your back, he releases a burst of chakra that activates the seal."

"Why aren't you guys moving?" The brunette head demanded. "Kill them! Sacrifice them to the great Lord Jashin!"

"We can't." The leader gritted.

"Whaddyou mean you _can't? _Just _do it!_"

Shisui shook his head.

"You guys are standing in a puddle of blood." He deadpanned. "Naruto-chan controls blood."

The Jashinist began struggling, shifting enough so the red stitching around the soles of their sandals were visible.

"Damnit." The brunette cursed, noticing Naruto's handy work.

The redhead chuckled unsettlingly.

"Wanna know what my blood does after Shisui activates the seals?"

"You little slut!" The silver haired one yelled. "I'll kill you!"

"My blood seeps into your pores, and you become infected, and then, your blood, is my blood. And I control my blood."

"Gets me every time." Shisui muttered, watching the cult become enraged and start spitting out curses at the redhead unfitting for a strip bar.

"Let's play dolls hmm?" Naruto hummed. "I never had anyone to play with when it really mattered. So, I'll make up for lost time now."

"Naruto..." Shisui said, not really in the mood for her insane quirks. "We really ought to get back to headquarters."

"In a minute Shisui-kun." The upside down redhead whined.

"You!" She pointed at the silver haired one. "You'll be Silver. All five of you dolls are named after your hair colors. Got it?"

Shisui sighed explosively, resolving to just hang back and watch the show until he became so sickened, which he would, and turn away.

The stitches holding the Jashinist down broke off with a flick of the redhead's wrist, and they were free.

The silver haired one lunged at Naruto, only to stop short, his muscles stiff as hard plastic, veins in his neck bulging with the effort to _move._

"Nope Silver, save that rage for your cheating girlfriend Green over there."

The other four were just as stiff as "Silver" struggling against a force that flowed through their veins.

"You little _bitch!_" Silver roared, spittle flying out of his mouth, face beet red with rage. "I'll fucking hang you as my chandelier by your goddamn _intestines-!"_

Whatever he had been about to say was warped and cut off as Naruto made a talking motion with her hand, and then closed it.

Silver's mouth twitched furiously, but nothing but angry grunts escaped him.

"Okay, so Green cheated on Silver with Ash. But Ash is in a relationship with Blue, and Blue is in love with Black." Naruto announced.

"You Silver, in a fit of rage from being cheated on by Green, murders Ash." The redhead made a walking motion with her fingers, forcing Silver to stiffly walk over to "Ash", and raise his scythe.

"Off with his head!" Naruto exclaimed, arm swinging in a chopping motion.

Silver cleaved the panicked eyed Ash in two, from the right side of his neck, to the left side of his hip. Red spurted out of the halved man, upper half falling with a wet squelch, and the bottom soon following.

"Whoa, you've got a strong will." Naruto observed. "I commanded the blood to move in a fashion that would decapitate Ash perfectly. Yet, it was off, because you fought."

Naruto floated over to Silver to whisper acidically in his ear.

"But what are you fighting for?" Naruto wondered innocently. "Perhaps all those innocent people you slaughtered for your fake God? Hmm? Are you hoping if you fight me, you'll get away so you can apologize to all of their families? If there's even anyone _left _of their families after you destroyed everything..."

Silver's eyes widened.

Naruto laughed dementedly.

She snapped her fingers.

"Green kills Silver for taking away Ash, Blue kills Green for being with Ash, and Black kills Blue, thinking he will never be loved by Blue, when he actually is, and then, kills himself in anguish. Doesn't that sound like _fun!_" Naruto giggled.

Giggles escalated to full blown laughter as the Jashinist were forced to carry out the redhead's whims, limbs flying, and blood spraying everywhere. Innards spilling out, heads rolling, and generally just gory chaos.

And it only stopped when they were all in pieces.

"Well," Naruto righted herself in the air, questionably solemn in the voice. "This concludes our game of dolls. Maybe we can play again when I join you all in hell someday."

Naruto flew over to Shisui, who had turned away from the "game" after Silver cut Ash in two.

"You done?" Shisui muttered, shoulders slumped.

He never liked violence.

Naruto knew that.

And she could be exceptionally violent.

Shisui didn't want to be a killer.

He was just good at what he did. But that didn't make him like it.

"Yeah," Naruto murmured, her feet touching the ground. "I'm done."

Shisui sighed, hearing the resignation in her tone.

"I just wish you weren't so..."

"Unstable?" Naruto offered.

"No, you definitely know what you're doing..." Shisui said quietly. "I wish you didn't draw it out like you always do... its... sick."

"I know," Naruto said, her shoulders slumping too. "Sometimes I really can't help it though. The blood... everything about it just screws with my head. The smell... the color... the _taste-"_

"Okay!" Shisui interrupted. "I'll torch this place and we'll get back to the village, 'kay?"

Naruto nodded mutely.

_'So much for an even number of kills...'_ She thought grimly.

* * *

One hour away from the village, Naruto collapsed from severe anemia.

Shisui caught her before she could break her spine against one of the lower branches.

He flickered with shunshin, appearing again behind the cover of a large oak.

Shisui gently leaned his partner against the trunk, and took off her mask.

The devilish eyes she usually sported on missions had faded back to azure blue, with traces of seafoam green.

Naruto never wore her black zipper face mask on missions, it was too recognizable as something she wore around the village. Instead, she had a normal black face mask covering the lower half of her face.

Shisui noted his partner was pale, her skin covered in a dew of sweat, and she was having trouble breathing.

"Naruto...?" He shook her shoulder lightly, her head lolled around bonelessly. Her eyes were hazy, and she looked about ready to pass out.

Shisui knew he didn't need to ask her if she needed... _that._

He could see that she did just by looking at her.

"Damnit!" Shisui hissed.

He fumbled with her face mask, pulling it down and revealing the three thin black whisker marks on each of her cheeks, and plump pink lips.

Shisui yanked off his operative mask, biting his lips hard enough to draw blood.

He pulled Naruto into his arms, and pressed his mouth slightly open over hers.

A single ribbon of red spilled down the redhead's angled cheek.

The sclera of Naruto's eye flooded with black, blue-green shifted devil red.

Naruto hummed, her arms raising up like a limp puppet on strings, winding around the Uchiha's neck to pull him closer.

Shisui shivered when her warm tongue slid over his bleeding mouth.

Naruto sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, and drank.

* * *

Hidan was walking back to the warehouse with a brown paper bag full of groceries.

He stopped at the smoldering pile of wood, plaster, and ashes that should've been a warehouse.

"What the fuck?" Hidan roared. "Gone for three bloody hours and _this _is what I come back to?"

"Hidan!" Called Midan, Hidan's older twin brother from somewhere in the rubble. "Is that you?"

"Of course it's me you fuckface! Who _else _would it be?" Hidan exploded.

"Oh I don't know!" Midan called sarcastically. "Maybe the bloody assholes who did this to us!?"

Hidan scoffed.

"And who did it?"

"Shunshin no Shisui and that insufferable bitch Nuigurumi ningyo**(2)**!"

"Who the fuck are they?" Hidan yelled. "I've never heard of such a pair!"

"Well _duh! _Because I just made it _up! _Spread the fucking word Hidan! Our bodies are torched, we can't regenerate so we'll die of starvation." Midan spat spitefully. "I want every fucking mercenary from here to Kumo after those little fuckers after I'm dead!"

"Okay, what village are they fuckin' from?" Hidan called, already planning where he was going to go as his brother and cult were as good as dead.

"Going by their masks... it's... Fucking Konohagakure!" Midan screamed hatefully.

"Consider it done bro." Hidan turned to leave, ignoring his brother's screams of utter rage about haunting brats from the grave.

"Well," Hidan muttered to himself. "Looks like I'll be accepting that Akatsuki invite after all."

* * *

**(1) Let's just say Shisui is the same age as Itachi, even though he should be older by two to three years, give or take. In short, he was thirteen when Naruto and Sasuke were seven.**

**(2) Rag Doll.**

**'Til next time.**


	4. Monster Behind The Mask

**ALWAYS VALID NOTE: No offense, but if you can't stand Yuri, beat it, because Karin shows up in distant future chapters and I hint at some stuff, even if officially, there are no pairings.**

**This chapter shows another side to Naruto away from missions.**

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image. Enjoy.**

* * *

A day after Naruto's last out of village mission, she was feeling pretty chill.

The red head's safety pin mask was unzipped enough to where she could stick a cigarette between her lips, and still hide most of her face. It was a nasty habit she had picked up from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as he was the one who visited her home because her father was always ignoring the fact that she existed.

Naruto took a long drag from her death stick, using chakra in a trick she learned from the Old Man. She exhaled deeply, a plume of smoke spilling out, and shaping into a graceful raven that flapped silently away, expelled by a soft breeze.

The redhead wore her normal goggles, and a short sleeved, high collared jumpsuit, red Uzumaki clan symbol emblazoned on the upper back, two thin burnt orange stripes running down the length of the suit's arms and legs. She also wore a long sleeves black mesh shirt under it, and standard black shinobi sandals.

Smoking her cig down to the filter, (as she spent the previous hour smoking a whole pack of twenty), Naruto pursed her lips, stubbing out the lit stick. She felt the last of her high expel from her lungs, out of her mouth, and dissipate into the afternoon air.

No matter how much Naruto smoked, it never affected her negatively. Hell, her lungs were crystal clear whenever she went to the doctor. Its like she had never touched a cigarette in the first place.

_'Must be that weird healing thing I've always wondered about... maybe I got it from Mum...?'_

She shook her head.

_'Not really in the mood to think of dead people...'_

The redhead was spending her Saturday bumming out in training ground nine (because that was her favorite number for some reason), just singing whatever jams her mind thought up, and strumming on her bass guitar. Just wanting to forget about being a murderer, even if all her victims were scumbags, and chill.

Naruto wasn't usually so bloodthirsty, but when she put on that mask... and she smelled the metallic, slightly sweet scent of blood... something within her _snapped._

It probably had something to do with Danzo's heinous training methods, and all his babble about being a merciless nameless shinobi protecting the village from the shadows.

Though, the redhead wasn't entirely innocent. Her bloodlimit made it easy to follow through with Danzo's ideas. Her bloodlimit... it made her _crazy_. She wasn't herself when she used her power, but at the same time, she _was..._

_'So what the hell am I?' _She asked herself, though, she already knew. _'I'm just mildly insane in one half, and bloody insane in the other.'_

"Ugh!" Naruto groaned, running a hand through her bangs irritably. "Stop thinking Naruto." She mumbled to herself.

The redhead sat up straighter from her position against a tree, adjusting her pitch black axe bass to strum the chords fluidly.

The guitar was quite a sight, made out of shimmering black chakra conducting metal, the edges of the blade a wicked silver, the chords equally silver, and the head in the shape of a silently screaming (you guessed it), silver skull.

Naruto glanced down at the many cigarette stubs smashed into the grass at her side.

She sighed, dipping her hand into her senbon pouch, and pulling out a peppermint candy. She unwrapped the clear plastic around the treat, tucking her trash back into her pouch, and popping the candy into her mouth. She rolled it around her tongue, expelling the taste of smoke in her mouth and from her breath. As much as she smoked on off days, it was a wonder her teeth were still white.

Naruto enjoyed her candy, sucking it down to a thin razor disk, before crunching it between her molars and finishing it.

Naruto began strumming a deep grim melody on her bass.

She opened her mouth, and sang**(1)**:

_Skin to bone, steel to rust_

_Ash to ashes, dust to dust_

_Let tomorrow have its way_

_With the promises we made_

_Skin to bone, steel to rust._

Naruto stared absently into the distance.

_Ash to ashes, dust to dust_

_Your deception, my disgust_

_When your name is finally drawn,_

_I'll be happy that you're gone_

_Ash to ashes, dust to dust._

Blue-green eyes drifted closed.

_(aaah) ash to ashes, dust to dust_

_(aaah) skin to bone, steel to rust_

Glittering black nails danced expertly across silver chords.

_Right to left, left to right_

_Night to day and day to night_

_As the starlight fades to gray,_

_I'll be marching far away_

_Right to left and left to right. _

_(Aaah) ash to ashes dust to dust_

_(Aaah) skin to bone and steel to rust_

_Let tomorrow have its way?_

_With the promises betrayed? _

_Skin to bone and steel to rust_

_(Aaah)..._

Naruto's sad bass ended on an incomplete note, but somehow, it _fit._

"Oi," The redhead called. "How long are you planning to stalk me kid? I've been here for over an hour."

Naruto grinned when she heard an embarrassed, boyish yelp from beyond the tree line. The redhead zipped her mask closed just as a little boy, who couldn't be older than seven, with earth brown hair, and curious onyx eyes, poked his head out from behind a tree across the field.

From what Naruto could see, he had on a weird metal helmet, a faded yellow shirt, gray shorts, and a ridiculously long scarf.

Naruto had known the kid had followed her to the training grounds from Ichiraku Ramen, but, he obviously didn't mean any harm. Just seemed content to watch her.

This confused the redhead.

_'Didn't anyone ever tell this kid I was bad news? At some point they had been wrong. But in the last four years... heh. Let's not get into that. More importantly... What the hell would he want to follow me around for?'_

While she was musing to herself, the kid had started shuffling closer, only stopping when she cut him up with a dangerous look.

"Whaddyou want kid?" Naruto asked.

The kid looked nervous, scuffing the grass with his sandal, hands folded behind his back, and faint pink on his chubby cheeks.

_'He... he's kind of adorable...'_

Naruto blinked in surprise at her own thoughts. She shook her head, absently strumming a tune on her bass.

The kid's eyes suddenly zoomed in on her fingers. Naruto smiled beneath her mask.

_'So that's it, he followed me because he was curious about the guitar.'_

Then, the redhead frowned slightly.

_'Kind of risky though, someone ought to teach this kid not to be so trusting...'_

The kid closed the distance between them, plopping down into the grass in front of the redhead, dark eyes traveling to her fingers, and to her masked face, again and again.

"I... I don't really get it..." The kid spoke up uncertainly, making Naruto stop her playing. "But... that song you sung. It was sad, right? Do you really... feel that way?"

Naruto blinked.

_'Weird kid...'_

"Mm, not all the time." The redhead found herself saying. "Not all songs have to be about the singer. Sometimes they're like stories, things you see when you look at the world around you, and it's people..."

The kid's eyes got big.

"Can you make a song about anyone, or anything you see?" He asked.

Naruto shrugged, wondering why she was humoring him, and not scaring him off like she always did to the rare people who didn't hate her. Save for Jiji and the Ichirakus. They were the exception.

"Sure I can kid."

"_Really!?_" He grinned, bouncing on his knees excitedly. "What do you see when you look at me? Can you make up a song about me?"

Naruto nodded slowly, raising a dark skeptical brow. _'Did I use to be that hiper? Wasn't even that long ago but still...'_

"Oooh sing a song about me! Sing! Sing!" The kid cheered.

"Alright, just calm down, _jeez._" Naruto huffed.

She strummed a hesitant melody, looking at the kid from head to toe.

At first glance, you saw a small kid to whom you would ignore, but the shiny helmet made you look at him again. She noted the kunai pouch for beginner shinobi on his right leg, and they way the kid held himself. With confidence, but also an underlying defeat, as if he could never portray himself like the person people expected him to be.

_'Kid's got layers, I'll give 'em that.'_

Naruto decided on a steady longing tune. It was steady, like the kid, but sort of lonely, because deep down he felt whatever he wanted, whatever he was fighting for, he would never have.

_Tired of being what you want me to be__**(2)**_

_Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface_

_Don't know what you're expecting of me_

_Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes_

Dark eyes widened.

_Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow..._

_I've become so numb, I can't feel you there_

_Become so tired, so much more aware_

_I'm becoming this, all I want to do_

_Is be more like me and be less like you_

Naruto felt kind of shitty when the kid's eyes filled with tears.

_Can't you see that you're smothering me,_

_Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control? _

_'Cause everything that you thought I would be_

_Has fallen apart right in front of you._

_Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow..._

_Every step that I take is another mistake to you._

_Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow..._

_And every second I waste is more than I can take._

_I've become so numb I can't feel you ther-_

"Stop."

Naruto stopped.

The kid's shoulders were shaking, and he valiantly fought the liquid shining in his eyes.

"Not for you then, ne?" Naruto asked, guilt settling in her stomach's pit.

She found herself ruffling the tufts of earthy hair sticking out of his helmet.

"How bout this one hm?"

She began again, a faster tune, it was stronger, determined.

_They see you as small and helpless__**(3)**_

_They see you as just a child_

_Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild._

_Prepare for your greatest moment_

_Prepare for your finest hour_

_The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower..._

The kid beamed through his tears, showing one of his front teeth was missing.

_'That is... that is so fucking cute!' _The redhead gushed.

"Bipolar little monster aren't you?" Naruto muttered, cutting off her playing abruptly.

"Nope, I'm Konohamaru Sarutobi, and don't you forget it!" He grinned, wiping away his tears with his forearm. Looking at the redhead as if they were never there in the first place.

Naruto refrained from recoiling in surprise.

_'Jiji's little grandson eh? Come to think of it... I never got around to meeting the brat that Old Man is always squealing over...'_

Naruto looked at the kid, noticing he seemed to have become tense as she got lost in thought, as if somehow her knowing his name would make her behave differently towards him-

_'I'm an idiot.' _She thought immediately.

_'Of __**course **__he would think that! He's probably been pampered his whole life with people ignoring him as an individual and seeing him as some kind of novelty. Or expecting him to be as great as the Third...'_

Heh.

Naruto wondered if his background and relation to Jiji is what made her refrain... no. Made her not even _think _about being creepy, and doing something disturbing for a few laughs.

_'For some reason... I feel like I don't have to get morbid to laugh around him...'_

Interesting kid.

Naruto smiled, a real one, that showed in the crinkling at the corners of her eyes.

"Konohamaru, huh?" She mumbled, almost snickering when the kid seemed to be holding his breath.

"That's a pretty cool name, but mine is way better."

And just like that, he was opening up.

"What?!" Konohamaru squawked. "No way it's better than mine! I'm named after the strongest ninja village to ever exist! What the heck could be cooler than that?"

"Naruto." The redhead supplied.

"What." The kid flatlined.

"My name. It's Naruto, kid. Pretty epic right?"

"You mean the ramen topping?" Konohamaru squinted. "How the heck is _that _cool?"

"What?" Naruto yelped indignantly. "That name is too cool! It's so cool infact, one of the Sannin named a character in his book Naruto."

"So?" Konohamaru crossed his arms stubbornly. "That doesn't make it cool. It just means someone wrote a book with a dork named after a ramen topping as a character."

Naruto gaped.

Konohamaru smirked.

"Why you smug little-"

"Honorable Grandson!"

A Jounin wearing round sunglasses, and a bandana came crashing through the tree line, twigs and leaves stuck through and clinging to various places on his person.

"There you are! Lord Third and I have been worried about you! Why on _earth _didn't you stay at the ramen stand after Saturday Tutoring with Mizuki like you were instructed?"

"Ugh." Konohamaru groaned, as if the bane of the earth was in his presence.

That's when the Jounin noticed who he was with, his face twisting with scorn and disgust.

"Honorable Grandson! Get away from that, that _thing!_"

"Gee thanks." Naruto drawled sardonically.

"What?" The kid looked at Naruto, who shrugged harmlessly, and then back at the dumbass who crashed through the trees. "You mean Naruto? What the heck is wrong with you Ebisu-baka? Why would you say something so mean to her? What'd she ever do to _you?_"

It was Ebisu's turn to gape.

"H-Honorable Grandson! It's not- I mean, she didn't- _but! _She's a-"

Konohamaru frowned stubbornly, yet, adorably, Naruto inwardly squealed.

"So what you're trying to say is, she's never done _anything _to you, and yet you're _still _rude to her?" The kid seemed furious on her behalf.

Naruto was flattered she had made such an impression that the kid would defend her, but he really didn't need to cause trouble with someone he so obviously spent lots of his time with.

"Oi, calm down kiddo." The redhead said cooly, placing a hand on the earthy haired boy's shoulder. "I'm flattered, really, I am, but you don't have to get so m-"

"Do _not _touch the Honorable Grandson with your _**filthy **_hands!" Ebisu commanded, launching a kunai that Naruto _let _pin her left hand to the tree behind her.

"Ebisu what the heck?!" Konohamaru yelled, appalled.

"Get away from it this instant, Honorable Grandson." Ebisu said seriously.

"Oh Kami Naruto are you okay?" The kid ignored him, obviously panicked.

Said redhead, waved away Konohamaru's worried hands softly, pulling the kunai out of her skin with a wet _squelch. _

She felt kind of bad when the kid paled, but she had a point she needed to make. The redhead refrained from licking the red liquid from the blade, instead, she stabbed it into the earth by her side.

Naruto commanded the blood spilling out of her large wound to act like a film over her hand, and harden like diamond, as sharp as an arrowhead on all sides.

"Okay you're absolutely right about my hands being filthy. I will not deny that." Naruto said, slowly rising to her feet, Konohamaru gawking, and Ebisu scowling.

"But you're wrong to assume I'd lay a hand on someone who hasn't done anything to force me to harm them. _You _on the other hand..."

Naruto activated her seals, floating up from the ground and levitating in the air near Konohamaru.

"Holy crud..." The kid muttered, awed.

And then, she was gone.

The next thing Ebisu knew, a hand was grasping the front of his face crushingly, and forcing him savagely to the ground. The back of his head created a small crater in the earth when Naruto pushed him onto his back.

Ebisu's vision swam, his glasses cracked, and his face ached.

When he came back to himself, he peered through Naruto's fingers in utter bafflement, wondering how someone who wasn't even a genin could have gotten the drop on him.

And then, he paled.

He looked up, Naruto's blue-green eyes flooded with red and black, and Ebisu felt something he hadn't felt since the Kyuubi attack.

Fear.

Ebisu was terrified.

Naruto seemed to be staring into his very soul with chilling devilish eyes. Black sclera straining with glowing red veins that lead to the irises of radioactive red eyes.

"_Don't _provoke me." Naruto warned lowly, so that only the Jounin in would hear, staring down with a solemnity unfit for such horrible eyes. "Unless, you want me to show you _exactly _what kind of monster I'm willing to be? Hmm? Because, you know, I imagine I can make a lot of interesting things with your skin after I peel you like a grape..."

Ebisu felt the odd blood blade's point press threateningly against his nape, and couldn't help swallowing nervously. The redhead chuckled innocently, but it still managed to be completely petrifying.

His heart pounded, and his blood roared in his ears. He was sure Naruto knew this. And he was sure she was enjoying it.

Something distinctly mad flashed in those unearthly eyes, before it was contained, and forced back below the surface.

"I just want to chill out right now." Naruto informed him. "But if you want me to dirty my hands with more filthy blood today, by all means, do something. I'll play with you... Go on. I _dare _you."

Ebisu shook his head furiously, making his aching head feel even worse.

Devilish eyes crinkled with a smirk.

"That's what I thought." Naruto giggled.

She rose up in the air even more, releasing the Jounin's now bruised face. The blood hardened on her hand liquified once more, and she flicked it off her skin, skin that curiously bared no scar.

The blood landed with a _splat_ across the grass, and immediately began steaming, reducing all the grass around it in a twelve inch radius to dead gray-black tufts. It ate a hole into the earth, until the hole was so deep, it disappeared into impenetrable darkness.

"Whoa..." Konohamaru whispered, finding his voice. "Just... _whoa._"

Ebisu passed out.

Naruto flew easily back over to her axe bass leaned against the tree she was bumming against earlier, slinging it around her shoulder by it's red velvet strap.

Her eyes were already back to normal.

The kid didn't need to see her like that.

Even if she wasn't much older then him...

_'He's innocent... his hands aren't stained with blood...'_

"You can _fly!?_" Konohamaru blurted, bringing her out of bleak musings.

Naruto chuckled.

"I knocked out your buddy over there, and _that's _the first coherent thing you say?"

"Meh." The kid shrugged. "He was asking for it. The baka shouldn't have attacked you like that."

Naruto's eyes went wide.

_'This... this kid... he is something else.'_

She grinned.

_'I like him.'_

The redhead pulled off his helmet, earning an indignant yelp from him, and ruffled his brown hair teasingly.

When she stopped, Konohamaru was rearranging his hair, pouting.

His onyx eyes widened when he felt something behind wrapped around his head, and fastened.

He looked up, noticing Naruto's black goggles were missing.

He reached up, his fingers bumping one of the orange lenses.

"B-but... these are yours..." He stuttered.

The red head admired the fact that he so obviously wanted them, but, he was still trying to be courteous to her.

"I've got another pair." Naruto lied.

Konohamaru grinned.

"Thanks Naruto!"

Naruto ruffled his hair again, flying up, and dipping over so she could look at him from upside down.

"That's really cool..." The kid marveled. "How... how the heck are you doing that?"

"It's a secret." The redhead winked, smiling when the younger boy pouted.

"Aww, can't you teach me how to do it?" Konohamaru whined.

"I could..." Naruto admitted. "But this is my thing, and I doubt you've even got the required chakra nature for it anyways."

"Chakra nature?" Konohamaru echoed.

"Mhmm, like, what shinobi use to be able to use elemental jutsu."

"Oooh! Like fire and water an' stuff?" The kid asked.

"Yup." Naruto nodded, righting herself, and folding her arms behind her head. She was positioned in such a way, it seemed as if she was lying on an invisible bed.

"And what chakra nature do I gotta have to be able to fly like you? And how do you even find out your chakra nature?"

"You ask a lot of questions kid." Naruto complained.

Nevertheless...

"You need wind. And it just so happens that's the rarest nature here in Konoha. So tough, kid." The redhead said. "Also, you need chakra paper. Channel chakra into it, and it'll either burn up, split in half, get soaked, or crumble to dust."

Konohamaru deflated.

"Rare huh? That's too bad..." He murmured sadly.

_'Why is this kid so good at making me feel like an ass?'_

"Erm, yeah, its pretty rare. And I don't carry around chakra paper, as I already know my nature... but," Naruto smiled when the kid's slumped shoulders perked up a bit. "My bass _is _made out of chakra conducting metal."

"That's pretty cool, actually." Konohamaru said. "But _why?_"

"Well," Naruto scratched her masked chin, not used to people being so interested in her. "I'm an artist. I draw a lot, and sometimes a like to make sculptures or make masks or whatever..."

"What!?" Konohamaru blurted. "Seriously!?"

"Mm, yeah. I used to have a lot of time on my hands, so I have a lot of hobbies. Even sealing and stuff."

"Naruto that's _awesome!" _Konohamaru gushed.

"Heh. Thanks man." The redhead tried to sound careless, but, she was really rather flattered.

"So like... axe guitar?" The kid wondered.

"Oh, right!" Naruto sat up, and floated in the air sitting indian style. "So, I was just drawing one day, and this wicked guitar practically drew itself, right?"

Konohamaru nodded eagerly.

Naruto hadn't smiled so innocently in quite a while.

"And, I wanted to make it real, and knowing chakra conducting metal is really durable, practically indestructible, I carved the prototype out of that. It turned out fine. And I still have it, but, bass is more my style. So, it's kind of collecting dust in my apartment... But, after I knew an instrument made out of hollowed out metal would work, I made this beauty-" She held up her bass. "- and ever since we've been nearly inseparable."

"Wow... so you really made that?" Konohamaru gaped.

"Sure did." Naruto chuckled.

"Gosh, do you know how awesome that is?" Konohamaru asked, nearly vibrating with wonder. "It looks like one you buy out of a store! That's... man... just... _awesome._"

Naruto blushed beneath her mask in pride. She'd probably be a WAY more pleasant person if her Dad was that enthusiastic about her accomplishments.

But then again... maybe not.

"So, did you make that mask you're wearing now?" The kid asked curiously, once again, pulling Naruto from her thoughts.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, and lifted her chin to Konohamaru's head. "I even made those goggles."

Konohamaru touched his new accessory, and beamed.

"Thanks again, Naruto."

The redhead shrugged.

She really appreciated that the kid didn't ask why she wore the mask. If only because she would tell him she really didn't have a reason other than the fact that it made her look badass. But really, she wore it because the inside was lined with intricate seals. Much like the ones Danzo place on his brainless ROOT's tongues to keep them from talking about certain things.

But, Naruto's was modified.

It kept her from saying certain things that tended to slip from her mouth due to the screws using her bloodlimit had knocked loose in her head. She also had a seal tattooed into the back of her neck, limiting certain thoughts from even being thought, which was hidden by her safety pin mask. Both seals of which she only kept activated while in the village. Her mission mask didn't have such seals. So, she was a lot more... twisted, out in the field. Though, her original reason for wearing her mask, after all her hair had gone red?

Perhaps...

Perhaps Naruto just didn't like to look at the person in the mirror that Minato couldn't stand...

"Don't mention it, 'cause no one will believe you." She snickered to herself when the kid looked rightfully confused.

"So ummm... What's that weird thing you did with your... b-blood?" Konohamaru asked, paling.

Naruto waved the question away, and the kid didn't ask anymore questions.

She liked that about him. He was smart.

"So, anyways, axe bass, chakra conducting metal." Naruto reminded. "You wanna see what kind of element you have?"

The boy perked up at the change in subject, only to immediately become confused. Though, a pleasant sort of confusion.

"What?" Konohamaru asked, smiling. "Honest? You mean it?"

"Sure," As if to prove it, she took the bass off her back, and positioned it so the head was pointing at the kid's chest.

"Go on." She urged. "Just grab it. Your training to be a ninja, right? And you look about seven, so you should know how to use chakra by now. Just channel it into skull at the top, and tap it against the grass. However it affects the grass, will tell us your element."

"B-but... won't me doing that ruin your bass?" Konohamaru asked nervously.

Naruto laughed, and shook her head.

"Of course it won't. It's the metal, not the paper. And it's practically indestructible, remember?"

"Oh yeah." The kid nodded. "Then, can I really try?"

"Knock yourself out kid." The redhead shrugged.

Konohamaru took the offered bass, grasping the neck, and placing the blade of the instrument against the grass.

His face scrunched up cutely in concentration.

Naruto inwardly squealed like a fangirl.

It took about two minutes, but finally, a faint blue glow emitted from the boy's small hands.

Sweat lined the kid's brow as he fed the metal his untrained chakra.

Blue-green eyes bugged out.

_'Oh __**shit**__!'_

The the grass beneath the blade was torn to shreds, and then, it ignited in crimson flames.

"_Holy-!_" Konohamaru dropped the guitar, and scrambled back, his back hitting a tree, the neck of Naruto's the bass thumping uselessly to the ground.

With a nonchalant wave of her hand, the small flame was put out with a blast of concentrated wind chakra.

_'So, the kid's got two affinities at seven? Fire and wind. Interesting...'_

"Well, I'm thoroughly intrigued." The redhead muttered.

Konohamaru was still slightly in shock, staring wide eyed at the smoking patch of burnt grass he created.

What Naruto said next was enough to snap him out of it.

"How would you like to be my protege, Konohamaru?"

His blinding smile was answer enough.

"Let's go back to my place. I'll show you all the masks I made. And maybe I'll teach you a thing or two about flying, hm?"

_"Awesome!" _Konohamaru cheered.

Both young children left training ground nine with a new friend.

Konohamaru failed to remember Ebisu was still lying there passed out, and his helmet lied forgotten in the grass.

"And that's Naruto as in maelstrom, not ramen topping you brat!" She bonked him on the head.

"Ow! But it IS a ramen topping!"

"Not when it's my name it isn't!"

"Hmph!" The kid pouted.

Naruto glanced at Ebisu's sprawled form over her shoulder briefly.

_'Don't make me be a monster in my own village...'_

* * *

Three days later Ebisu came to in Konoha's hospital from a bad concussion. To be honest, Naruto really hadn't meant to slam him so hard.

But now, she was paying for it.

Naruto stood before a sunshine blonde man, with cobalt blue eyes so much like her own, yet so different. His hair was styled in its usual 'I'm too busy to comb it' way, ear tails hanging down past his strong jawline, and framing his handsome face. A dark blue hitai-ate was tied around his forehead, beneath spiky blonde bangs. He wore a white coat with orange flames bordering the bottom over a slightly brighter than normal Jounin uniform.

He was Minato Namikaze.

The infamous yet beloved Yellow Flash.

Slayer of Kyuubi no Kitsune.

The Fourth Hokage.

A true hero.

And the father of Naruto Uzumaki, who he couldn't even bother to look up from his paperwork from to punish properly.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Minato said, scribbling here, stamping there.

Naruto bit her lips behind her mask.

"Hai?" She croaked.

"You've never had any offenses. And you're still a minor by village law."

Scribble scribble.

Stamp stamp.

Naruto's shoulders sagged.

Really? What the hell had she been expecting? _Wanting? _

"Yeah, that's true." The redhead muttered.

"You'll be graduating the academy in a year. But since you've never had an issue with violence, I'll let you off with a warning."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Naruto said, blue-green eyes trained on the floor.

"Dismissed." Minato waved a hand absently, as if she was an insignificant fly.

Scribble scribble.

Stamp stamp.

"Asshole..." She whispered quietly.

Naruto rushed out of the office like the devil was on her her heels, slamming the double doors behind her.

She blinked away the wetness in her eyes.

Scribble scribble.

Stamp-

_BANG!_

Minato punched his desk. It splintered, and groaned like a man with old bones, nearly caving in two.

The Fourth bit into his shredded, bleeding knuckles, squeezing his eyes shut in shame.

"_Damnit!_" He hissed.

* * *

**(1) Skin to Bone by Linkin Park**

**(2) Numb by Linkin Park**

**(3) This will be the day from RWBY.**

**I don't own any of these songs. **

**Keep in mind I typed them up from memory alone.**

**;)**

**Til next time. **


	5. A Rotten Girl

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy.**

* * *

**A year after Naruto's retirement from field duty in ROOT.**

* * *

Mizuki raced through the Leaf Forest. He smirked to himself.

That buffoon Naruto had actually believed she could pass as a ninja if she stole the sacred scroll of forbidden jutsu.

He had revealed to the little demon what actually happened that day twelve years ago. The Kyuubi had been sealed inside of her. Iruka had been screaming about shutting up and how it was taboo if Mizuki said something. But honestly, if Mizuki was willing to betray his village for Orochimaru to deliver the sacred scroll for power, why would he care about revealing a poorly kept secret? Pfft.

Iruka was an idiot.

Mizuki had snatched the scroll from a the stunned stupid demon girl and made a break for it. Now he was home free.

"I'm gonna be so powerful after this!" He laughed to himself.

* * *

**One Day Ago**

* * *

The underground passage two shinobi inhabited was almost entirely draped in shadows, the only light being a single torch illuminating the upward stairway behind the younger of the duo.

Naruto Uzumaki kneeled before the elder Danzo, her porcelain masked face bowed in utter respect.

"You summoned me, Danzo-sama." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I need you to fail your Genin Exam tomorrow." The old cripple said.

"A mission." Naruto stated.

"Indeed. There is a rat in our village. And you are my most prized weapon." The elder informed her.

Naruto nodded once.

"He will approach you, of that I am sure. I leave the timing of his elimination entirely up to you, Harime**(1)**. Do not fail your village."

Those words flipped a switch in the redhead's brain. For some reason, Danzo said them before every mission she had.

_'Do not fail the village.' _Her mind echoed.

Naruto's face twisted into a gruesome grin.

"Consider it done, Danzo-sama."

"Excellent. Dismissed."

Without another word, Naruto's form was swept from existence by a silent breeze.

* * *

**Present Time.**

* * *

Naruto had no idea.

Well... she did now, didn't she?

Heh.

Come to think of it... why didn't she see it herself? It was almost _painfully _obvious.

Well, no matter.

She could lose it _after _she completed this mission. She hadn't gotten a good one in a little over a year.

Sure, she was a ROOT nin, but she was still only a twelve year old girl. Mizuki had caught her off guard long enough to steal the scroll, and Iruka-sensei was out cold from taking a giant shuriken to the back for her.

Naruto's lips curled into a sinister grin.

Mizuki didn't have the sacred scroll.

Naruto had never stolen it.

It was just a normal storage scroll that she had henged.

Naruto giggled.

* * *

Mizuki soared through the trees, green and brown but blurs of blending colors as he zipped to freedom.

He released another giddy laugh of success.

"Something funny?"

His steps faltered.

"C'mon tell me!" A voice whined childishly. "I like jokes. Wanna hear one?"

Mizuki sped up, his heart began stuttering in his chest cavity.

_'How... how can... how could ... this can't be happening!'_

"It's about a little rat that thought he got away with the cheese. But its actually poison he was going to die meaninglessly for."

Mizuki looked up too late.

The person that had been flying above him took hold of his face, using chakra to force themselves towards the ground.

The back of Mizuki's head splintered as it was slammed into the forest floor below at several miles per hour.

His vision faltered, pain erupting in the back of his skull as a puddle of fluid spilled out of the wound in the back of his head, soaking grey strands through with red.

Naruto floated two inches above him, now wearing an odd doll like porcelain mask.

The single eye that was visible was no longer azure blue with hints of seafoam green.

It was a horrendous combination of pitch black and unnaturally glowing red.

Mizuki watched helplessly as Naruto held up the sacred scroll, and it was engulfed by a poof of smoke.

Naruto waved a harmless normally sized scroll around in Mizuki's face.

He felt his heart sink with devastation.

"A-a trick... henge..." Mizuki stuttered in pain.

"DING DING _DING! _We have a winner!" The redhead cackled.

Naruto reduced the scroll to shreds with a concentrated storm of winds in the palm of her hand.

_'There is no way... this __**thing **__is a child... I knew it...'_

Suddenly, demonic eyes became indifferent.

"Chunin Mizuki, as special agent Harime, I hereby sentence you to death for treason by order of Elder Danzo."

_'No... NO! I was supposed to get power! Orochimaru __**PROMISED**__!'_

Mizuki tried to struggle.

He looked down his side, horrified to find the entire outline of his body was sewn to the forest floor by tiny red stitching.

Naruto had slit her wrist open with a senbon while he had been panicking. Blood still poured out of the neat wound, and spiraled up her arm to her shoulder like a drill, ending in a wicked four inch point at her fingertips.

_'Don't... please... someone... don't let it get me...'_

The blood drill began spinning at blurring speeds.

"Hehehehehe~" The demon chuckled darkly.

Tears stung the corners of the Chunin's eyes.

Naruto forced her drill's point into Mizuki's defenseless abdomen, shredding his innards, and churning them to paste.

Blood and scraps of flesh whipped out of the enlarging hole rapidly, spraying across Naruto's gleaming porcelain mask.

Mizuki released screams of agony that reached all the way back to the village.

* * *

Dark eyes slid open.

A man blinked, the taste of blood heavy and metallic on his tongue. The room he lied in was quiet, alight with flickering candles somewhere out of his line of sight.

The room smelled of peppermint and fresh oil paints.

An artist's lair.

It was too peaceful.

"Ah, Miszuki-sensei... you're awake hmm?" The _cursed _demon hummed casually.

Mizuki hated her. He _loathed _her. But doing that wouldn't save him. He knew that... He already knew.

Nothing would save him.

"That's an interesting face you're making." Naruto said thoughtfully. "I think I'll make a mask just like that..."

She was looming over him, face bare of any mask, a paint brush in her hand, and another tucked behind her pierced ear. An easel and canvas was set up before her, a paint pallet in her other hand. The dips of the pallet were full of crimson paint, like blood, grey like his hair, and peach, like his skin.

Naruto's eyes were still that awful mixture or red and black. And she stared at him, her tattooed arm gliding up and down, back and forth.

A stroke of red here, a dash of peach there...

She was _sick._

Mizuki lied on the hard marble floor, staring up at the cream white ceiling blankly, knowing exactly why he couldn't feel anything below his waist.

Naruto set her pallet and brush down on the foldable black table at her side.

She soundlessly rounded her canvas, and dropped into a squat at Mizuki's side.

He couldn't even feel anything.

He wasn't even afraid anymore.

She had done her worst to him.

The lower half of his body was... _gone._

The redhead pulled a senbon from the updo her hair was in, and slit her wrist again.

She cheerfully waddled around so she was crouched were his legs should have been.

Unflinchingly, she slid her black painted nails beneath her skin, pulling them out when her fingertips were coated with red.

The redhead scooted back.

She began drawing a seal on the floor.

Naruto hummed a jolly little tune to herself as she worked, drawing her seal just two feet away from Mizuki's still form.

When she finished, she hopped back on the balls of her feet. The floor glowed blue after Naruto sent a pulse of chakra through the seals.

Mizuki squinted.

When the light faded, a beautiful, glossy red oak wood coffin rose up from the swirling symbols.

Naruto peeked around the coffin's massive form just as it clicked, and creaked open.

_Creeeeeeeeeak..._

A single, red light flickered to life within the abyss of darkness inside the coffin.

Mizuki lifted his head slightly, and it took whatever energy he had left right out of him.

"This is Jorogumo's**(2) **coffin." Naruto informed him. "She's one of my blood clones. I created her a year ago when I was bored. Neat huh?" The redhead grinned, showing off her razor fangs.

"I keep her sealed away, because she's one day away from expiring her two week life span. But, y'know, when you create a seal meant to contain, time does not exist within the seal. So, as long as I seal her away after I'm finished, she'll last forever."

The room filled with the odious stench of decay.

Mizuki's eyes watered.

"But, you wanna know something interesting? " Naruto asked innocently. "When blood clones are in a state of decay, the cells that make up their brain shut down, and devour each other. So, Jorogumo here, essentially, is brain dead. The only command the remaining cells she has, tell her to feed. But, she has no more fresh cells..."

Naruto pouted.

A white hand scuttled out of the coffin.

Wheezing breaths breached the foreboding silence.

The hand had clawed black nails that scraped across the floor, dragging a lump from the depths of the upright coffin.

"But _you..._" Naruto smiled, giggling behind her bloodied hand. "_You've _got fresh cells for her, don't you, Mizuki-sensei?"

Mizuki realized that glowing orb was an eye.

A devil red eye just like the ones the original Naruto stared at him with mirthfully.

A ghastly parody of Naruto dragged herself out of the coffin, looking absolutely wraith-like.

She was nude, the skin around her whiskered cheeks peeling, and hanging down her face in rotten scraps.

Yellowing teeth peeked through the ruined flesh, and a mass of ratty red hair trailed behind her as she moved on all fours. Bones snapped and creaked as the clone moved, mad bulging eye peering through a curtain of bangs with an insatiable hunger.

The other eye was completely rotted away. Just a black fleshy hole in her face crusted over with scabs of deadened flesh, and rimmed with congealed blood.

Naruto hopped up as her wheezing clone made it's way over to Mizuki.

The original redhead returned to her canvas.

"Take your time Jorogumo-chan~!" Naruto chirped, picking up her paintbrush. "I want to get _everything."_

A foul maw fell open, the scent of decay heavy on it's breath.

Mizuki hopelessly thought,_ 'Why? Why me...?'_

Teeth sank into flesh.

* * *

**Two Days Later, Before Academy Team Assignments.**

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Minato sighed explosively, staring out of his office window and out at the village he lived to die for. To protect.

"What? You can't answer?" His daughter spat.

His shoulders tensed when she chuckled.

Of all the reactions he had been expecting from her, it certainly hadn't been _that._

"Guess what Daddy?" Naruto cackled. "I've got something for you!"

Minato didn't try to dodge whatever she had thrown at him. He could tell it wasn't dangerous.

He was confused when he felt wood hit his back, and clatter to the floor.

_'A painting...? Why on earth would she-'_

"I bet you think it's funny, don't you?" Naruto demanded. "Everyone knows except for Naruto! Hardy har har! I bet you all laughed behind my back."

He had expected her to be angry.

He _knew _she would be. He wasn't exactly the best father around... so, to find out that her mother died sealing the Kyuubi into her, and Minato lived on as a hero was definitely a heavy blow.

But her _tone..._

Minato had never heard Naruto sound so venomous.

"I bet you all laughed when I walked around like an idiot wondering what I'd done to deserve being so hated."

Minato's heart ached.

But for the life of him... he _couldn't _face her.

"Did you laugh at me when I cried myself to sleep?" Naruto whispered brokenly.

Minato knew what he was for causing his child such suffering. He was a bastard. He deserved whatever pain he received.

He was the _worst. _

"Guess what?" Naruto asked again, apparently, coming out of her sorrow.

Minato held his breath.

"I became the monster you all wanted me to be."

Minato whirled around.

Naruto's form was swept away by a silent breeze.

The Fourth fell to his knees. He stared at the white cloth covering of the canvas Naruto threw at him. The blonde man stared so long his eyes burned. He couldn't take it anymore.

He ripped the cover off of the painting.

And... he froze.

"Oh good god..."

Minato choked on a sob. The painting was... repulsive. Naruto... _**did **__this?_

"What the hell...?" Minato whispered, sounding strangled.

It was so horrible.

But he couldn't look away.

A man lied in a dark room, _Naruto's _room. The lower half of his body was ripped savagely away, you could tell something had torn him to shreds by the jagged pieces of skin hanging off of his torso. To Minato's absolute horror, a monstrous version of Naruto loomed over him, looking absolutely ghoulish. Blood was stained down her chin, flesh wedged between her carnivorous teeth, and her body falling apart. A living corpse. She eating him alive, gorging herself on his flesh as tears streamed out of his eyes.

Mizuki.

"Oh good _god _Kushina... _what _have I allowed our baby to become?"

* * *

"Naruto what the heck are you doing here? This is for graduates only." Shikamaru drawled.

Naruto pulled a senbon out of her pouch, and sliced her right hand open.

Wordlessly, she smeared her blood down the lazy Nara's face.

The room went dead silent.

Nobody moved for what seemed like ages.

"What the fuck!?" Kiba roared.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled.

He walked off and out of the classroom, presumably to clean his face.

"God _damnit!_" Ami screamed. "Why is she always _doing _that!?"

Obviously her peers were thoroughly disturbed, and or abhorred. But a lot of them got the message clear as day from their masked classmate:

_Leave me the __**fuck **__alone. _

Naruto didn't even bother to walk, and simply floated to her seat beside Sasuke Uchiha. Ino and Sakura didn't have the courage to pester the so obviously _livid _redhead for the seat. Nor did any of his other useless fangirls.

Naruto glared straight ahead, blue-green eyes so furious they could wilt flowers they weren't even _looking _at.

_Thunk._

Naruto stabbed the back of her hand with her senbon.

_Thunk._

Her peers edged away nervously.

_Thunk._

Sakura gulped.

_Thunk._

Kiba paled, and Akamaru whimpered.

_Thunk._

Ino wondered when the redhead would explode.

_Thunk._

Sasuke's brow twitched.

_Thunk. _

Naruto glared.

_Thunk._

Choji stopped eating.

_Thunk._

Shino shifted uncomfortably.

_Thunk._

Hinata wrung her hands.

_Thunk._

Sasuke caught the redhead's wrist in an iron grip.

"_Stop __**it **_Naruto." The Uchiha growled.

"Sasuke-kun don-"

Naruto snatched her hand away from Sasuke, and flicked it at Sakura.

Blood was flung from her fingertips, and splashed across the pinkette's face, immediately crystallizing in a mask like formation around her mouth.

"Mmmmpfff!" Came Sakura's muffled scream.

"Naruto what the hell!?" Ino screeched as Sakura began struggling with her blood gag. "You can't just-"

Naruto did the same to the ash blonde, only, a string of red still connected her to Ino.

"Get over here." Naruto muttered darkly.

Ino's pale blue eyes widened when Naruto yanked her over the two desks separating them, and grasped the front of her face. She forced Ino's back onto her own desk, and glared down at the other girl.

"Shut up, Yamanaka."

Ino's eyes filled with tears.

"Naruto you bitch!" Fuki yelled, outraged.

"Stop it!" Katsumi screamed.

Naruto ignored them all.

She sent Sasuke crashing into the far wall with a wave of her hand, and a blast of wind when he attempted to grab her again. Ino nearly wet herself when Naruto's thunderous expression somehow worsened.

"You knew." The redhead growled.

The room fell into silence again. Though, it was a lot more confused then disgusted this time around.

"Of course I did."

Everyone whipped around to face the tall lithe form crouched in the windowsill above them, to the right of the classroom.

Sasuke stumbled from the crumbled heap of desks Naruto pushed him into. Well... they weren't crumbled until he crashed into them...

"Shisui...?" Sasuke bugged out at the sight of his older cousin.

Shisui ignored everyone, serious midnight eyes trained on the enraged redhead's back.

Naruto's shoulders tensed.

"You knew and you didn't tell me." Naruto accused.

"It wasn't my place." Shisui stated simply.

Naruto released Ino's tear stained face, and the blood gagged girl took the opportunity to scramble to her feet and cower behind a slack jawed Choji.

"You _lied _to me." The redhead gritted. "I _trusted _you."

"And you still can." Shisui admitted honestly. "There should never be any question about that, Naruto. But right now, as someone you trust, expect me to point out how ridiculous you are being."

The other people in the room switched from gawking at Shisui to Naruto like an audience at a ping-pong match.

"Ridiculous." Naruto echoed bitterly. "So I'm being ridiculous? Even though you all _lied _to me my _entire _life!?"

"What were we supposed to do!?" Shisui snapped, startling Sasuke, who thought Shisui didn't even have the muscles necessary to frown.

"Look how you're acting! Angry, yes, understandable Naruto. It really is. But not how _childish _you are being."

"Childish?" Naruto threw herself around, alarmed when Shisui flickered right in front of her.

"No, I change my mind." Shisui said, his midnight eyes narrowing unforgivingly. "You're acting more like a wounded animal. Lashing out at anyone and everyone who approaches you."

"Fuck you!" Naruto spat.

"Look around you, Naruto!" Shisui threw his arms open, losing his patience, and gesturing to her horrified peers.

Naruto found herself looking.

_'They... they seem terrified... is that... because of me...?' _Her glare faded slightly. _'I never wanted to be a monster in my own home...'_

Shisui jabbed a finger to the center of her chest.

"This," He dragged it across her breast and over her heart. "Should not affect _this._"

He lifted his hand up to whack Naruto upside the head.

The redhead's peers gaped in horror.

They waited for Naruto to brutally kill him for completing the ultimate taboo: Not only touching her, but _hitting _her.

'He is so dead', was the collective thought.

You could drop a feather to the tense silence and hear it.

Naruto's shoulders sagged for the second time that day. _'What...? What the hell am I doing?' _She asked herself.

Her livid eyes lightened. Of course she was still angry. She wasn't perfect in any sense of the word, but she was mostly ashamed, so she pushed away the betrayal she felt, to examine at a later time when she was alone.

"Shit." Naruto sighed defeatedly, running a hand through her bangs. "Just... shit."

She looked up and around at her peers, many of them releasing exhales of extreme relief when they realized she wasn't going to go berserk.

"What the fuck am I doing?" She asked aloud. "Sorry... I'm sorry, you guys."

The redhead was rewarded with a massive assemble of wide eyes.

Naruto made an absent 'come hither' gesture with two fingers, the blood around Ino and Sakura's faces webbed with cracks, and shattered, liquefying mid air. The globules of blood moved through the air like oil in water, slowly returning to Naruto. They split when the redhead snapped her fingers, separating into a flock of crimson butterflies.

The class stared in awe.

The red insects fluttered their wings blurringly, not a drop escaping their forms, or left upon the two Sasuke fangirl's faces.

"Go home," Naruto dismissed them.

The butterflies silently went about their way, disappearing out of the open window.

The redhead ran another tired hand through her bangs.

"Sorry, Shisui." Naruto muttered. "I lost my head there..."

Shisui smiled.

"I hope you don't think I'll let you get away with this." The older ROOT chuckled. "Just because you said sorry, doesn't mean your home free you brat."

Blue-green eyes bugged out.

"Wha-"

Shisui flashed his Sharingan, causing the redhead to immediately slump in unconsciousness.

He caught her around the back, and beneath the knees before she hit the ground.

"What?" Shisui looked around at the flabbergasted twelve year olds harmlessly.

Shikamaru chose that moment to walk back in.

"Troublesome." The Nara muttered, walking right back out.

"Well, I'm off." Shisui chirped.

Sasuke deadpanned.

"Where are you taking her?"

"I'm gonna punish her." Shisui smiled innocently.

Hinata blushed.

"Like... how?" Kiba asked.

"Spank her." Shisui winked, and shunshined out of the room.

_Thump._

Hinata fainted.

Shino tried to catch her. He really did.

* * *

**Hokage's Office, After Naruto Leaves Minato The Painting.**

* * *

The Jounin nominated as potential Sensei shuffled into the room, lead by The Third.

Hiruzen sent the solemn faced Fourth a short look.

The blonde man shook his head slightly.

Nodding in understanding, the Third went to stand at the side of the Fourth, just as the man pulled out a glass violet orb from a drawer in his desk.

"We'll be observing your potential Genin for about twenty minutes before you have to go meet them." Minato said shortly.

If Kakashi was alarmed by his former Sensei's clipped tone, he didn't show it.

The Jounin gathered around, circling the orb as Hiruzen activated it.

They all blandly observed the children as they bickered. And then, the classroom door slid open, and a masked girl with blood red hair drifted in silently, a near foot from the ground.

"Isn't that...?" Asuma murmured.

"The Kyuubi brat." Anko confirmed.

The snake mistress paled at the thunderous look the Third sent her.

"Well, I was gonna say the Fourth's kid but... whatever..." Asuma mumbled.

Kurenai scoffed.

"How is she flying like that?" Genma wondered around his senbon.

"Seals." Kakashi supplied, gesturing to his arms.

His fellow Jounin looked at the child's arms, and sure enough, her arms were covered in artful swirling black ink.

Hayate whistled appreciatively, before falling into a fit of dry coughs.

"Clever kid." The swordsman wheezed.

"Mm." Ibiki grunted in agreement.

The sound of Shikaku's son asking Naruto a question pulled the chattering Jounin back to the matter at hand.

To (almost) everyone's utter revulsion, Naruto cut her own hand with Genma's favorite weapon, and smeared blood down Shikamaru's left cheek.

"What the fuck?" Asuma muttered at the same time Kiba bellowed it.

"I like her." Anko grinned. "She's creepy... it's kinda hot."

"Sicko." Kakashi jabbed.

Anko shrugged.

"Don't knock it til you try it."

"I prefer my partners to be potty trained thanks." Kakashi retorted blandly.

The other Jounin snickered to themselves.

"Pfft. Whatever." Anko snipped.

"Silence." Sarutobi commanded.

They became silent.

Minato hadn't looked away from the orb once, watching his daughter like a hawk, ignoring his subordinates bantering.

Naruto silenced two of her peers using her bloodlimit, and subdued Sasuke with a display of elemental chakra control some _Jounin _didn't have.

Blue eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Sarutobi's wizened face tightened as he recognized the subduing maneuver Naruto used to pin Ino on her desk.

_'Danzo you bastard...' _The Third thought angrily.

"What a rotten little girl." Kurenai scowled.

Minato and the Third shot the fresh Jounin a look.

Red lips snapped shut.

"Shut up Kurenai!" Anko hissed.

"Hmph!" Kurenai huffed.

"Naruto knows Shisui-kohai?" Asuma questioned.

Everyone turned once again, back to the orb.

And what do you know, Shisui Uchiha was crouched in the windowsill of the classroom in all his shunshin S rank glory.

The Jounin and kage watched as the two black jumpsuit wearing shinobi argued back in forth.

"This," Shisui jabbed a finger in Naruto's chest, and moved it over her heart. "Should not affect _this._"

He slapped the back of Naruto's head.

"Smart boy." Ibiki observed gruffly.

"Yeah..." Hayate nodded, coughing into his fist.

They waited for Naruto's reaction.

Her defensive posture sagged.

"Progress..." Kakashi noted.

"What the hell is she so angry for anyways?" Anko mumbled.

Sarutobi was the only one to notice Minato tense before he became unreadable again.

"Who knows, maybe it's her time of the month?" Genma grumbled.

Asuma snorted.

"You seem to forget her dad is in the same room."

The senbon chewing man paled.

_'Were none of you paying attention to their conversation? Obviously she found out about the Kyuubi somehow...' _Kakashi thought flatly.

"Shit... just... shit." Naruto's voice wafted up from the crystal ball.

"What the fuck am I doing?" The redhead sighed, running a hand through her hair.

She surprised all of the adults in the room with her next words.

"Sorry... I'm sorry you guys." Naruto said, looking honestly remorseful.

"Maybe... maybe she's not so bad..." Kurenai murmured.

"Something made her very angry." Ibiki rumbled. "So angry in fact, it caused her to go into shock. And I say that shock caused her to suffer from a case of temporary insanity."

"Definitely backing you up on that one ScarFace." Anko nodded.

The Jounin focused on the orb once more.

Naruto called back her blood from Ino and Sakura's faces.

"Go home." She commanded solemnly.

"She is frighteningly skilled."Kurenai murmured.

"Yeah... I got to meet this kid." Anko grinned.

"No." Kakashi flatlined. "Just no... Anko."

"Agreed." Ibiki, Hayate, Genma, and Asuma chorused.

"Pfft. Who asked you clowns anyways?" Anko grumbled.

Shisui then proceeded to knock Naruto out with his Sharingan, and made a joke about spanking her, much to Sarutobi and Minato's obvious displeasure.

"Dismissed." Minato said. "Go meet your teams."

Just then, Iruka hobbled into the classroom on crutches, wearing a shiny new hitai-ate (as he gave Naruto his old one when she visited him in the hospital yesterday), and announcing Mizuki-sensei was out. He then said he was going to tell everyone their assigned teams.

The Jounin took that as their cue and left, destination, the Academy.

A moment later, Shisui appeared in the Hokage's office with a slumped Naruto in his arms.

"Hokage-sama. " Shisui addressed the Fourth, all business.

He bowed his head respectfully in greeting.

"Lord Third."

"Take Naruto home, Shisui." Minato ordered. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened slowly.

"Ugh..." She groaned. "Shisui you bastard... using that bloody sharingan on me..."

**"Well, what a surprise..."**

Blue-green eyes widened.

**"Welcome. I've been waiting for you, jailor."**

* * *

**(1) Stitch. Naruto's ROOT codename.**

**(2)Jorogumo is a Japanese type of yokai (evil spirit or demon), a spider that can change it's appearance into a seductive woman. Jorogumo is written as ("binding bride") or ("whore spider"). She seeks men to seduce, whom she binds in her web of silk and devours.**

**Does anyone think Naruto's mood swings are fishy...? Hmmm?**

**'Til next time.**


	6. A Giggling Shadow

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy. **

* * *

_"Why are you doing this?"_

_"I just want him to acknowledge me..."_

_"I want to be just like him..."_

_"I want to be Hokage someday..."_

_"Thats not true! I __**can **__make him proud! He'll love me someday. You'll see, DATTEBAYO!"_

_"I __**am **__somebody... I matter... right...?"_

_"I'm nothing. I am no one."_

_"I don't want to..."_

_"I-I couldn't do that to someone..."_

_"I wanted to get stronger. But not like this."_

_"I could never kill someone so thoughtlessly!"_

_"Don't try to make me do something like that... please..."_

_"I don't want to be a ROOT anymore!"_

_"I'm dirty now."_

_"I'm a killer. You made me a killer."_

_"I'm losing myself... I just want the pain to stop..."_

_"Daddy... please help me..."_

_"I'll never fail the village. Heh~"_

_"Hehehehe~ its fun! SO MUCH FUN~!"_

Naruto shook away the voices crashing around in her head, her hands clenched in an iron grip in her wavy red locks.

"W-what the hell is all that _noise?_" She whimpered, ears ringing something fierce.

_"Don't seal it away! Don't! There's no telling what I'll become...!" _One of the voices screamed.

She tripped around aimlessly in the cesspool around her ankles, squeezing her eyes shut.

_"Why was I so upset again...?" _The voice wondered, beginning to fade.

"Stop. Shut up. Shut _up!" _Naruto snapped.

**"You seem confused, little jailor."**

Naruto gasped for air, her head felt like a stuffed sausage, no space for the information trying to force it's way in.

Her brain _ached._

Naruto felt like she was going to explode.

**"Come now, jailer. You finally come to see me, and you don't balk at my presence? I am feeling unappreciated."**

Naruto's shoulders tensed, waiting for another onslaught of jumbled voices. Voices that cried, or laughed, or begged, or whimpered... or _screamed..._

Nothing made sense.

Why were those voices in her head?

**"I grow tired of this. Face me, insolent child." **A voracious voice rumbled.

Naruto's stomach dropped into her knees.

"What...?"

Naruto dropped her hands from her head, and stared straight ahead. The walls of the spacious room she was in were a deep orange, nearly red, lined with faint carvings on intricate and ancient sealing arrays. There was a tunnel, so dark were it's depths, you couldn't see beyond the first foot of it's length, the odd candle like glow of the room around her much too dim.

Naruto turned around.

And she stared.

And stared.

And _stared._

A huge cage stretching from wall to wall, ceiling to floor stood before her. No. _Dwarfed _her. Rusting gates held oddly strong, a single yellowing slip of paper placed between the gates, the kanji for "seal" written in a familiar scrawl across it's surface.

"If this is my head... what the hell is this cage doing here?" Naruto thought aloud.

**"That is a question in which your pitiful little brain will never comprehend."**

The redhead flinched at that monstrous voice, sending tremors through the waters around her ankles.

"This has got to be the _worst _time for me to meet you, Kyuubi." Naruto said flatly.

She watched as a pair of gargantuan eyes slid open, and a snarling grin appeared pearly white through the thick shadows of the cage.

**"What's this? You do not fear me. And there is no hatred in your heart."**

"Of course I'm not afraid. I know that seal will keep you from doing anything to me, or anyone else." Naruto stated, before she became contemplative, and somewhat annoyed. "But, how would _you_ know what's in my heart, fox?"

**"Child, I know you better then you know yourself." **Kyuubi growled, insulted that a mere human would question him.** "My body is sealed in your stomach, but, my consciousness is within your mind. I know everything."**

"You're more talkative than I would have imagined." Naruto observed.

**"What did you expect? A senseless beast? Ha! The strongest of the Bijuu is much greater than **_**human **_**like you could ever comprehend."**

"Why do you keep insulting my ability of comprehension?" Naruto frowned. "I feel like you're trying to tell me something at the same time as you're belittling me."

**"Hm. So you are not as idiotic as you look."**

"I was trained by Danzo. That cripple is all about hidden meanings, deceit, and silver tongues." Naruto deadpanned.

**"Ah yes, that man. He is as despicable as an Uchiha."**

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked, red brows furrowing in confusion.

**"It means, **_**foolish **_**wretch, that I do not **_**like **_**him."**

"You don't seem like the kind of guy who likes much of anything besides low blows, and mass destruction." Naruto muttered cynically.

**"And I don't like **_**you**_**." **Kyuubi continued, not missing a beat. **"Alas, you are my Jinjuriki, and I **_**refuse **_**to be jailed within a **_**fool.**_**"**

"Are you going to continue being cryptic or are you going to start making sense?" Naruto drawled.

Kyuubi roared, blowing Naruto's hair _completely_ away from her face, and sending the waters whipping about wildly.

"You done?" Naruto flatlined.

**"Quite."**

"Then by all means, teach this fool something." Naruto gestured lazily.

**"You are insufferable."**

"I try." Naruto shrugged.

**"As I was saying, Danzo."**

"What about him?" Naruto asked, tensing, and becoming slightly defensive.

**"I do not like him. And **_**you **_**do not like him." **Kyuubi stated.

"So? I never made it a secret I only joined ROOT for power. I don't trust him. I never did. I just respect his will to protect the village."

**"Ah yes. And I find it so curious you would become a murderer for the very people who shun you for me. But even more curious, a little girl who couldn't even harm the three girls who bullied her everyday, and beat her simply because they knew they **_**could, **_**would be entirely remorseless while dismembering people a mere four months after ROOT training."**

"What are you insinuating?" Blue-green eyes narrowed.

**"Fool!" **Kyuubi spat. **"You scared those girls four years ago. You found it amusing, yes, but even remembering all the times they harmed you, you still could not bring yourself harm **_**them. **_**You walked away from violence.****And then, you met that lying old man, and suddenly, it was okay for you to hurt others. So long as you knew they were rotten, just like you had become. And it was **_**fun **_**to pick them apart."**

Naruto felt something foreign swell in her stomach.

_'Is he trying to say that... no. No __**way**__! I'd know. I'd KNOW!'_

Fear.

She was afraid.

"So you're saying Danzo is responsible for the way I become when I'm on missions, or I take off my mask?" Naruto asked, horrified. "That can't be it! Dad said my bloodlimit increases morbid thoughts and actions!"

**"Yes. But did he say anything about sociopathic or sadistic behavior? And perhaps the words... 'Do not fail your village'?"**

Naruto's blood froze in her veins.

_'I won't fail the village.' _Her mind echoed.

**"I told you, jailor. I know **_**all." **_Kyuubi growled.

Naruto heard a distant giggle.

**"Even the things you have forgotten."**

_"Don't! Don't seal it away! There's no telling what I'll become...!"_

Naruto's head _ached._

She fell to her knees, filthy water soaking through the legs of her black jumpsuit.

The giggle came again. But louder. _Closer. _

She clutched her head once more, and hissed in pain.

"What's this~? You shouldn't be here..." Giggled a voice. "Its my time to play!"

_"I-I couldn't do that to someone..."_

_"Daddy help me..."_

_"I'm dirty."_

_"I'm a murderer..."_

_"I never want to be a monster in my own village..."_

_"I don't want to be a monster..."_

_'Those voices... why do they sound so familiar...?' _The redhead thought.

And then...

Bodies.

Dead bodies.

Dozens of _dozens _of people.

Red splattered across walls.

Limbs lying useless, severed from their owners.

Faces stiff with death, twisted horribly in an everlasting nightmare.

_'Why am I remembering that? Those people I killed...'_

_'Some part of me didn't want to... but the other...'_

"I'll do it for you~ it'll be fun! A game! See? It's Fun! Hehehehe~"

"Wh-what the hell...?" Naruto croaked. "I'm so c-confused..."

**"Just remember. Remember everything, little jailor." **Kyuubi rumbled.

"You go away. Because it's my time, okay? Hehehe~ it's my time to play~!"

Naruto curled into a tight ball.

That voice. It was different from the others...

So much _closer. _The others were distant.

_'Memories...!' _Naruto realized. _'But when did I... when could I have...'_

**"While training with Danzo." **Kyuubi supplied.

Naruto shot up.

She turned around.

_'B-but...!'_

Nothing was there.

"I'm your shadow silly. Always behind you. But always _with _you. You can't look at me~ Hehehehe~ "

The redhead turned around again, but only saw red fox eyes studying her from within the cage.

"A shadow..." Naruto murmured.

"Hai hai~" The voice chuckled playfully. "A shadow that protects the village. Your morbid fascination. The child you never got to be, and went rotten in the back of your head. Danzo-sama's most prized weapon."

"You don't want to be a monster. So I'll be one for you~"

Naruto touched her face.

It was bare.

This was her mind...

There were no masks in here.

"Harime." The redhead realized.

"DING DING _DING! " _The voice cackled.

_"Don't! Don't seal it away! There's no telling what I'll become...!"_

_'It was my voice all along...' _The redhead thought, abhorred.

"Danzo..." Naruto choked. "_What _exactly did he seal away?"

**"The part of your mind that recognizes you are one person. But what do you know? You're two." **Kyuubi mocked venomously.

"Fuck." Naruto cursed.

Harime giggled.

* * *

Shisui returned to the Hokage's office after dropping Naruto off at her house, and tucking her in to bed, as his hypnosis did not wear off yet.

He faced the two kage.

Neither of the men looked happy.

"How do you know Naruto, Shisui?" The Third asked, grim faced.

Immediately, the Uchiha realized something was terribly amiss.

His face told the two kage everything.

He thought they knew.

"When did you meet Naruto, Shisui?" Minato questioned this time.

"Four years ago, Hokage-sama. Danzo-sama assigned me as her jutsu and kenjutsu Sensei." The Uchiha answered honestly.

"Damnit!"

Shisui nearly flinched when the blonde man slammed his hands furiously against his desk.

"Has she?"

"Yes." Shisui nodded solemnly. "Four months after her initiation into ROOT, she was on field duty, and she killed on her first mission."

Minato sat down in his chair.

Sarutobi seemed to age another decade.

Shisui honestly hadn't expected this. He thought they _knew! _No one was allowed to be a member of ROOT until being approved by the Fourth _first!_

_'Danzo-sama... what have you done?'_

"I don't know what Danzo did while he trained Naruto-chan one on one." Shisui admitted. "But I _do _know he's the one that caused her to be the way she was on missions... I can't explain it... but, he always briefed Naruto and I separately, even though we were a team."

"And how was she?" Sarutobi questioned.

"Sociopathic." Shisui stated. "Sadistic. Bloodthirsty... _Childish."_

His expression twisted with confusion.

"It's strange, because even though her humor is black, and she can get morbid, Naruto isn't the same here in the village as she is on missions... It's almost like... _she's_ _two different people._"

"Shisui."

The Uchiha stood at attention at Minato's dead serious tone.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"You are _my _shinobi. And Danzo is an elder. Yes, I allowed him his little ROOT force to handle back alley issues, but only nin _I _approved."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.

"Danzo is out of hand." Minato declared. "And it is about time I put him back in place."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Shisui smiled.

The Uchiha cupped his hand around his mouth, eyes darting around in mock conspiracy.

"Between us, I don't really like Danzo anyway."

They all shared smiles.

Danzo's days as an elder were officially numbered.

* * *

Konohamaru let himself into Naruto's apartment with the key she had given him a while back. He went into the kitchen, silently glad all the other occupants of the building moved out, so Naruto moved into a bigger unit. Actually, the _biggest _unit.

The pint house.

Konohamaru had sweet talked his grandpa into buying the building so Naruto wouldn't be kicked to the curb, and he had. Then, Grandpa had given the building to the redhead as her twelfth birthday present.

Life was pretty good.

The eight year old banged around in the kitchen, making himself some instant pork ramen, assuming Naruto was asleep, as when she wasn't home, a blood clone would've already greeted him.

And yes. He knew all about Naruto's bloodlimit.

She had told him about it only a week after they started hanging. Konohamaru thought it was wicked cool, told her as such, and earned himself a bunch of cuddling and cooing noises informing him of his adorableness. (To which he _refused _to admit to taking pleasure in).

The eight year old waited for his ramen to cool, gobbling it down with gusto after a few minutes.

When done, he cleaned out his dishes and set them in the burnt orange dish rack.

Konohamaru roamed around the giant living room. He was always fascinated by the stuff Naruto had just lying around. The floors were a mixture of dark, light and white marble, the walls were cream, but covered in kohl sketches, half finished seals, and small canvas paintings of odd little creatures. When Konohamaru asked why Naruto always drew such creepy things, she stuck her diamond pierced tongue out at him and said 'cause my head's a creepy place kid'. Naruto was really cool. She was really chill, and dark, but she was also really wise sometimes, and put Konohamaru in check when he was out of line. Sometimes her loose screws showed when she was really comfortable, but she still managed to be really likable.

Well, at least to him.

A lot of people told him to stop hanging around her, and that she was evil, but Konohamaru just brushed them off.

This was the girl who carved him a black guitar with gnarly electric green flames on it, and taught him how to play it until his tone deaf ears could appreciate good music. Until he could make his _own. _This was the person that learned to knit, so she could make him a scarf, because he totaled the one his Mom bought him in a freak training accident when she trying to teach him fire jutsu.

This was the person who taught him everything she knew to defend himself, and still was, because she knew she wouldn't always be around to protect him.

Konohamaru, finished roaming, and padded down the perpetually dark hallway, (something he teased Naruto relentlessly for. Translation: being a vampire). Naruto only lit her house by candlelight, even though the electricity worked flawlessly. She even had black lace curtains hung up over all the windows in the house.

Konohamaru reached the last dark oakwood door on the right, there being three doors on each aide of the hallway. One bathroom on each side, on the right, the bathroom was connected to the master bedroom. It was the door second to last. The first door on the right was a guest bedroom. The first room on the left was another bathroom. The second room was what Konohamaru liked to call, "The Gallows". He called it that because it was Naruto's private place of painting, drawing, or doing psychotic experiments with her bloodlimit, and she'd hang him by his toes if he went in there. He'd never actually went in there, but he could've _sworn _he'd heard labored breathing on more than one occasion. Like a dying old woman or something. And sometimes, it smelled so _foul, _the hole apartment smelled like something had dragged itself out of a coffin.

The last door on the left?

Heh.

That was Konohamaru's room.

Naruto gave him a home away from home. And she always knocked before walking in. His own _Mom _didn't do that.

Naruto was awesome.

There was simply no other explanation.

Konohamaru twisted the gold knob of Naruto's bedroom, letting himself in. The redhead never cared if he knocked or not. She never did anything she didn't want him to see in her room. And if she was getting changed, the door would be locked, so the eight year old knew to wait.

Konohamaru stepped in, the door clicking shut quietly behind him.

Monstrous, artfully crafted masks were hung up on the far wall. Some more ghastly than others, or just simply odd, like the blank face of a man, or one twisted in terror. Some cloth, some porcelain, and some even rubber. He still didn't know how she managed that, but he knew Naruto had connections. Heck, she owned a tattoo kit. A legit one. One of which she promised to ink him up with for flying seals once he got his stubborn mother's approval. Which she absolutely _refused _to give. But, when he graduated from the Academy, he'd be legally an adult. So, he could just get them in a few years anyways, and live with Naruto if his mother disowned him for being an " uncouth bum", (as she liked to call his redheaded friend).

Konohamaru appreciated how the marble floors shifted to plush black carpet across the threshold, and he padded over to Naruto's King Sized bed, clad in silk black and red sheets, to which the redhead was tucked snugly under.

The eight year old checked and doubled checked if Naruto was slumbering.

He listened to the odd purring noise the redhead made when she was deeply asleep.

He grinned.

Konohamaru slipped into the other side of the large bed after changing into a clean black tee that fell to his knees (which he stole from Naruto's drawer).

He shuffled over to the peacefully sleeping masked girl who had become his older sister.

He marveled at her for a moment, just appreciating the fact that he had gotten to know someone so amazing, and that she cared about him as much as he did her.

_'Someday I'll be just like you, Naruto.'_

Konohamaru smiled, snuggling up to his sister and falling into a dreamless, tranquil sleep.


	7. A Gruesome Epiphany

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy.**

* * *

Naruto awoke with a start. She nearly snapped the neck attached to the small head resting on her chest. The redhead calmed down considerably when she realized it was only her little bro, Konohamaru.

_'Whoa... shit. Chill out Naruto. It's only the squirt.'_

She ran a hand through her bangs, and sighed explosively. The redhead sat up carefully, moving her little bro's head into her lap comfortably.

_"Vivid nightmare...' _She thought tiredly.

Naruto ran a fond hand through the eight year old's spiky chocolate locks, watching him snooze without a care in the world.

_'I always knew I had a fucked up head.' _Naruto thought, smirking wryly.

**'Well, I won't deny that. But, I assure you, that was no nightmare, little jailor.'**

Naruto flinched.

_'What the shit!?' _The redhead thought frantically. _'Fox!?'_

**'Who else would it be, whelp?' **The beast growled.

_'So... that __**wasn't**__ an entirely complex and twisted dream fabricated by my fucked up mind?'_ Naruto wondered, desperately hoping for it to be.

**'No.'**

_'Well aren't you a happy camper?' _The redhead snapped.

**'You are simply a smudge I am forced to deal with. Expect nothing less than a being like you deserves.' **Kyuubi sniffed haughtily.

_'Hmph!'_

When the great beast realized that Naruto was perfectly content to ignore him in stubborn silence, he breached it.

**'What are you to do now, little jailor?'**

_'I don't know yet.' _The redhead grumbled honestly. _'Thinking about breaking my foot off in Danzo's ass, but... I'll probably be hung for treason... Not really the way I was hoping to go...'_

The fox snorted.

**'Foolish human. If it were I, I would simply reduce my enemies to ash.'**

_'Yeah? Well contrary to popular belief, I'm __**not **__you. So... that idea is out.' _Naruto huffed.

**'I grow tired of this, foolish jailor. Call upon me when you earn a brain cell.'**

_'Of all the- you know what? Fuck it! I'm in a real shit hole right now, so, I refuse to sink to your level.' _The redhead snipped. _'And my NAME, is NARUTO. Naruto Uzumaki. Pleased to fuckin' meet you. Now, what's your name you dust mop?'_

When Naruto was met with thick silence, she wondered if she went a little too far, and earned the intense ire of a being with power beyond human comprehension.

But, she was surprised.

**'What makes you think I have a name?' **The fox asked, almost suspiciously.

Naruto blinked, baffled.

_'Uhhh... I dunno... it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing.' _Naruto admitted. _'Do you even have one...?'_

**'**_**That, **_**does not concern you, human. I want to rest now. Cease speaking to me.' **Kyuubi said in his growling voice. Though, curiously, he didn't seem to be trying to be menacing.

Huh. Interesting.

And then, Naruto became indignant.

_'You're the one who talked to ME you damn rug!' _She roared. _'Come to think of it, get outta my head! I've got enough voices in there!'_

She was faithfully ignored.

_'Bastard fox...' _The redhead grumbled.

Naruto adjusted her little bro so that he was lying on the warm spot she had vacated, and slipped with silent skill out of her bed.

Naruto was surprised she was still in the jumpsuit she had put on when she visited her dad in blind rage.

And then, she remembered how Shisui had bitch moved her and knocked her out.

"Sonofabitch." Naruto muttered. "I am _so _wiping blood on him the first chance I get."

She snickered to herself, padding around her bed, and across the room to her to her personal bathroom door.

She usually wiped blood on people to creep them out, because it was _hilarious _to watch their reactions. But, other times, on rare occasions, when she was really _pissed, _she did it to tell people to _back off._

Naruto entered her bathroom, and the seals she placed there to recognize her chakra lit the four corners of the room. She had nailed candle holders up above, and her chakra activated the fire seals carved into the candles.

The redhead shed her clothes, and skull rings, (careful not to skin herself), mumbling about needing several smokes, and climbed into her claw foot tub. She drew the spider web designed shower curtain, and turned on the water. Naruto turned up her head, moaning in bliss as steaming water sprayed across her tense back muscles. She pulled her hair out of it's messy ponytail, and reached for the white, built in rack in front of her, below the showerhead. She clasped the half empty bottle of scentless shinobi shampoo, squeezing some onto her open palm.

Naruto lathered up her scalp, taking her time to get the entire length of her waist long hair squeaky clean.

When she finished, the redhead pressed her palms flat against the black shower tiles in front of her, and stared down at her glittering black toenails.

She nibbled on her lip thoughtfully, watching the water and suds from her hair swirl down the drain.

_'What the hell am I going to do? Danzo screwed me over, and as long as he says not to fail the village, my other half is completely under his thumb!'_

Naruto scowled.

_'I knew his training was fucked up, and I never payed attention to the fact that I couldn't remember his lessons specifically. Because my body automatically responds appropriately to all combat situations.'_

Blue-green eyes drifted upwards, to her hands.

Naruto pulled them from the wall, and stared at them face up.

_'These hands... are covered in blood...'_

Her lips pursed bleakly, and shook her head, reminding herself, to be a shinobi, you must be a killer too.

She clenched her fist.

_'What the hell did Danzo seal that part of my brain for anyways? I would never betray this village. My loyalty isn't the question. So then... __**why**__?'_

The redhead scoffed.

"Probably just wants the ultimate pawn that'll never question him." She snarked aloud.

_'Little does he know, that hypnosis only works on my other half, Harime.'_

Naruto smirked.

_'Sure, I'll never betray or fail the village, but, nobody's gonna get away with screwing with me.'_

"Let's see... Danzo must've completely crushed my psych at some point, and I created another persona to deal with the pain..." Naruto peered up, letting the hot spray spill down her face and whiskers.

She dropped her head again, gazing at her toes.

"Fox says he sealed the part of my mind that recognized myself as an individual. So... that means he must've contained the Harime part, and pushed her to the back of my head, only coming out at the command "do not fail the village". And leaving once the mission is complete. Hmm... So I subconsciously recognize myself as two people."

Naruto wiggled her toes, absently thinking about getting a skull tattooed on one of her feet.

"Harime... she's childish, cruel, and sometimes sociopathic. But... she's not an idiot. She is entirely aware of the things she does, and even enjoys it." Naruto recited quietly.

"Think Naruto... what did she call herself?"

Something clicked.

"A shadow!" Naruto exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "'The child you never got to be, and went rotten in the back of your head'..."

Naruto blinked.

Sometimes, she was a real dunce. No wonder her classmates called her "Dobe" behind her back.

"A child... huh." Naruto bit her lips again. "Interesting... Let's see. Think Naruto..." The redhead murmured.

"Children..." She said, eyes far away. "They're cruel... Fascinated by dead things. They hurt others or small creatures thoughtlessly, until they are taught what is "right" and "wrong"... A rotten child, can be one who is neglected in some fashion..."

Naruto's eyes focused again, watching water go down her drain.

"Harime is just a crazy kid..." The redhead realized. "She's my childhood cruelty, loneliness, and morbid curiosity personified."

Naruto released a bark of laughter.

"Man... that is fuckin' _freaky._"

The red allowed the shower's spray to run down her back as she paused for a moment.

Something occurred to her.

"Now... how do I get _rid _of her?"

Naruto's expression flattened when she drew a complete blank.

"It's probably too late now anyways... she's been in my head for years. Shit." Naruto cursed. "And if I just undo Danzo's seal, there's no guarantee she'll fuck off."

Naruto shook her head, and decided to finish up before the water went arctic on her. She began cleaning her body thoroughly.

Fifteen minutes later, she switched off her shower, and made to step out.

Her drain noisily guzzled down the rest of the water.

_'Why is the stupid drain always so noisy after I turn the water off? I need to get the damn thing fixed...'_

The redhead paused.

Drain...

Like a corpse draining of blood.

Blood...

Fuck she was an idiot.

"My bloodlimit!" Naruto shouted.

She grinned to herself, somewhat madly.

"What does bloodlimit plus forbidden seals equal Naruto?" She asked herself gleefully.

She hurriedly wrapped her wet torso with a fluffy orange and black towel.

"A bag of skin for your bat shit other half!" She answered, laughing.

Naruto rushed out of her bathroom, and back into her bedroom.

She didn't bother getting dressed, and just put on a clean matching pair of black undergarments.

Things were about to get bloody.

Naruto snatched up a spare pack of smokes off her nightstand, and a handful of peppermints out of the glass bowl she kept there.

And then, she rushed off to "The Gallows".

* * *

Konohamaru, still half asleep, groggily rubbed his eyes, bugging out as Naruto flew around her room in her underwear. She grabbed some cigarettes and a handful of candy before rushing off, still naked.

Konohamaru was officially awake.

"Naruto you freak." Konohamaru complained, collapsing back against her fluffy, peppermint smelling black pillows.

"You killed my sleep." He grumbled sulkily.

After a bit of pouting, the eight year shoved out of bed and went to make himself some ramen.

His sis probably had some new creepy project she was going to be working on for a millennia, before she finally dragged herself out of The Gallows half dead and moaning like a zombie for ramen.

Konohamaru snorted to himself.

"Naruto, you're so weird."

* * *

The Gallows was a room with cream white walls, and marble floors like the rest of Naruto's home (excluding her and Kono's bedrooms, which was carpet). There was no windows, so, there was no natural light. The only light appeared in a twisted chandelier like sculpture Naruto had made from chakra conducting metal, and it held nine candles, hanging from the center of the ceiling. Naruto's chakra automatically lit the candles with seals as she crossed the threshold. With a flick of chakra, Naruto sealed the door after her, so that no one could enter.

The Gallows walls were lined with dark oakwood shelves, stacked to the brim with sealing scrolls and notes. The rest of the room was entirely empty, with a few faded bloodstains here and there from experiments gone wrong, wonderfully, or just Harime's antics still lingering. Naruto knew she was the same person as her ROOT half, but, it felt weird to refer to her as such. Knowing all the things her hands had done as Harime, and thinking in her current state, she recognized how unappealing they seemed. Don't get the redhead wrong, she would not hesitate to kill enemies. But, she didn't play with them like her ROOT half did. She decided to just think of Harime as a different part of her. A really fucked up one, but different nonetheless. They even had different thought processes. So, yeah. Naruto was sticking to that.

The redhead walked over to a shelf on the far left, selecting one of the larger scrolls on the last of the nine shelves.

She placed her peppermints and smokes in the resulting empty space, after drawing a single cigarette from the pack. She tucked the death stick between her lips, and lit it with a minor fire jutsu that required minimum chakra control. Taking a long relaxing drag, feeling sweet bitter tobacco burning her lungs, she exhaled deeply, a jet of smoke spilling from her mouth.

Naruto smirked around her cigarette.

At least she knew now why cigarettes didn't affect her normally. Kyuubi healed her lungs as fast as they were damaged.

_'Sweet! Now I can smoke as much as I want with absolutely no consequences.'_

The redhead hummed to herself, carrying her one and a half foot scroll to the center of the room, and setting it down on the bloodstained floor. Naruto puffed on her cigarette for a few minutes before stubbing the half finished stick out and tucking it behind her ear. She gathered her hair into a sloppy, yet efficient knot at the top of her head, and bit her thumb, smearing red across the latch on her scroll.

Once activated, the scroll unrolled, and Naruto scrambled back as a large _poof _filled the air with stale smoke.

The twelve year old waved it away with a minor wind jutsu.

With the air clear, the scroll now had an assortment of shiny medical tools neatly placed atop it. Including Naruto's spare pouch of senbon.

Naruto went back to her shelf and retrieved two more large scrolls, and a single small one. The first large one unsealed a fresh coffin, and the other, a large black iron cauldron.

Naruto took the smaller scroll, and activated it over her cauldron. A faint poof of smoke later, an entire three liters of her fresh blood poured into the pot. The air quickly filled with the metallic tang of blood.

The red liquid within the pot immediately began bubbling, and when they blew out, hisses of heat were released. The blood stretched, something trying to heave itself to the surface.

Naruto usually made them on the spot with scrolls containing three liters, as girls her age had around that amount of blood in them, but this was a different situation.

This was no ordinary blood clone Naruto was making.

This one, would not rot away in two weeks. It would last until the original redhead ceased to live herself.

Peering into the cauldron, Naruto saw fingers forming within her blood, reaching.

She retrieved yet another scroll, this one too, containing three liters of her blood. She tossed it up, a spray of red spurting out of it, and blobbing together. When it hit the floor, another Naruto kneeled at her original's feet, human features fading across its glittering surface.

"Scalpel and eye gouge." The original stated simply.

The blood clone nodded silently, looking exactly like her original. Though, a fatal blow would reduce her back into a puddle.

The clone retrieved the ordered tools, and placed them in Naruto's hands.

"Danzo's seal. Unravel it."

The clone rounded her original, studying every single seal Naruto, had hidden within her tattoos. There was an elaborate pair of angel wings printed on the smooth skin of Naruto's back, flames ignited beneath them, and the smoke were the swirls curling up around the redhead's sides, creeping over her shoulders and spiraling down her arms. Naruto felt her clone brush the wisps of her hair aside, and move the mass of waves over her shoulder.

She revealed the seal on the back of Naruto's neck. The one the redhead had placed on herself to limit her psychotic thoughts and comments. Obviously it didn't work, as Danzo's hypnosis still brought out Harime. He had probably deactivated it when he was sealing part of Naruto's brain, and then (this she knew), erased her memories of everything.

Naruto still didn't remember everything like Kyuubi had commanded her to. It wasn't that easy. "Erasing" memories was just another way to say sealing them away. Danzo had sealed the memories so deeply within Naruto's mind, that she didn't even know where to _begin _looking for them. Those voices the redhead had heard, were the only thing she could grasp. And she could only piece together what had happened to her from what her past self had been saying:

Naruto joined ROOT for power.

She couldn't stomach his training methods.

He became more cruel, belittling her dreams, and eventually ended up lowering her self esteem.

He wanted her to kill, showed her how, and Naruto refused to do so, wanting to leave ROOT.

Danzo broke her for that, and she created Harime to deal with her pain, convincing herself that killing was fun, that it could be fascinating...

Danzo saw the potential in this part of Naruto, and made sure she was going to stay.

So he sealed her and created his ultimate weapon. And then he erased Naruto's memories.

Though, Kyuubi's cage, was probably at the center of the redhead's mind, so some of those memories lingered around that area, and when Shisui forced her to sleep via hypnosis, those were the first things Naruto encountered. But, the images and smells or even the days going with those disembodied voices were still buried somewhere inside her.

She would find it.

Naruto smirked.

Her clone found Danzo's seal, and informed her. It was tucked under a patch of hair at the nape of her neck, hidden with invisible ink, only to show when chakra was channeled through it.

"Hurry, the seal needs to be gone by the time I'm finished with this technique." Naruto muttered.

"Mm." Her clone grunted her affirmative, immersed in the art of sealing.

Naruto created another blood clone, and handed it her scalpel and eye gouge.

She grinned viciously.

"I need the second to last rib on the right, and my right eyeball."

The clone smirked.

"Boss, you're a lot of things, but master surgeon ain't one of 'em." The second clone snickered. "Any mediocre medical skills you got, are all I have too."

"Don't you think I know that?" Naruto grumbled, already carefully running through a long line of handseals.

_Forbidden _handseals.

"I know enough to get this done." Naruto said simply. "Now, I'm going to split my soul in two, so, that blood clone in that cauldron needs more than just a blood clone substance. My rib, is a sacrifice to give her bone, and my eye, flesh. It'll grow back anyways as long as you leave a little something for Kyuubi to work with."

"You sure?" The clone flipped the scalpel between her nimble fingers expertly.

Naruto shrugged.

"I've had my fingers cut off on a mission once. The nubs grew back good as new."

"Heh. Whatever you say, boss." Her blood clone chuckled.

Naruto rolled her eyes.

"Just hurry up." She huffed, pulling her cig from the back of her ear, and relighting it, all the while still forming seals, one handed.

Heh. She was freaking badass.

The clone stopped playing with the scalpel.

Naruto closed her eyes and focused on enjoying her cigarette, ignoring the feel of cold metal slicing through her flesh.


	8. Out Of The Pot, And Into The Coffin

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy.**

* * *

Naruto clutched her right eye, geysers of blood squirting between the cracks in her fingers. The blood clone in front of her held a spool of thread clenched between her teeth, and a needle in hand. It's other hand firmly pinched the skin of the large incision under Naruto's small right breast together. Half of it was already stitched neatly closed.

"Fuck!" Naruto spat. "You didn't have to just _shove _the damn thing in there! Where's your finesse!?"

"You don't got any boss." The clone retorted, voice muffled around the spool. "So neither do I."

Naruto scoffed. _'I'm an artist you damn clone. Of COURSE I have fucking finesse!'_

"You might as well have used your goddamn fingers, 'cause that's how coordinated you were!"

The clone shook her head, continuing to sew up her original, and ignoring her irritated ranting.

"Shit, now I've probably got a huge messed up hole in my face because of you!"

"It'll heal, remember boss?" The clone smirked, but with the spool in her mouth, it looked more like a wolf baring it's fangs.

Naruto scowled.

"Smartass." She sneered.

The clone shrugged, going back to her gory patch job.

The clone behind Naruto had unraveled Danzo's seal a while ago, so she was the one to drop Naruto's freshly gouged eye and cut out rib into the cauldron. She also returned the bloodied eye gouge and scalpel to the scroll laid out of medical tools.

She watched her original and clone sister banter back and forth with a flat expression.

"You even made me bite my cig in half you dunce!" Her original exclaimed, pointing with her free hand to the ruined cigarette halved on the blood splattered floor.

"Boss, could you _please _maybe sorta kinda _shut up? _This is messy work here." The sewing clone huffed. "There's freaking blood _everywhere! _And I can barely see the skin I'm supposed to be sewing closed with all of it!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Naruto snapped.

"Then don't be an idiot in need of instruction!" The clone snarked back.

The flat faced clone shook her head, and shuffled curiously over to the pot, peering in.

The blood had turned into a viscous sludge, tendons and muscles crawling across a slowly forming skeleton.

White teeth gleamed within the nasty substance, Naruto's eyeball rolling around, and peering up, out of the pot. Staring.

_'Is that a smile?' _The clone wondered.

She shrugged, walking back over to the original, and her clone sister.

"Boss." The clone called lazily. "You finished severing your soul?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, stretching slightly to see if her new stitches would hold.

They began weeping, but held.

"Where is it?" The two clones chorused, giving each other wry looks a moment after.

"Right here, check this out girls." Naruto grinned, using her free hand to form the handseal that was mostly used to release genjutsu.

Then, Naruto turned green.

A huge bulge rushed up the skin of her throat.

Naruto gagged, choking on the lump, and rushed over to her cauldron.

The clones scrambled out of the way, watching wide eyed as Naruto heaved violently, vomiting up a violet, gas, and gelatinous _thing_.

"_BLERGH!" _The redhead heaved.

"Ugh that's _sick!" _One of them exclaimed.

"Wicked." The other whistled, intrigued.

The purple thing was loosely shaped like half of a person's outline, and it immediately tried to force itself back into Naruto's mouth after she hacked up the last of it.

But Naruto stumbled back, just out of reach, and the red sludge in the cauldron lunged, latching tentacle-like appendages around the purple phantom. The one armed phantom struggled to get free, but pink tendons slowly crept over it, and bones slid around it's surface, caging it.

The clones gaped.

"Boss..." One of them said.

"That thing is an abomination." The other finished.

The _thing _screamed, spasming wildly, sounding like a horrible mixture of a baby crow crying for it's mother, a groaning old woman with aching bones, and a terrified little girl.

_Freaky._

The redhead kind of liked it.

"One of you toss Danzo's seal in there. Harime's personality is contained in it, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah." The first clone nodded. "Figured you might need it, boss."

"Well, _obviously." _The other clone snarked.

"Just for that, _you _get to put the damn seal in."

The first clone shoved a small slip of paper into the other's hands, and rushed to hide behind the real Naruto.

"Sonofabit-"

"Oh just _do _it." Naruto interrupted, rolling her eyes.

The clone grumbled to herself, shuffling over to the flailing and still shrieking monstrosity in the pot.

As she drew near, the thing's single eye zeroed in on her, it's sclera pitch black, and straining with bright red veins leading to an insane crimson iris. It's half formed jaw unhinged even more, blood spikes shooting out the back of it's torso and curving around like scythe blades, piercing the clone in both of it's kidneys, it's heart, and either side of her throat.

"B-bitch..." The clone gurgled, rivers of red spilling out of her ruined neck.

The clone tossed Danzo's seal at the thing, and it landed smack in the center of its shapeless head, glowing blue before being swallowed by rapidly spawning brain tissue.

The skinless atrocity grinned.

The life was sucked out of the brutally skewed clone as the thing in the pot absorbed the chakra in her blood.

The clone sagged, skin becoming blobbish, before it sloshed to the floor in a bloody mess.

"Quick, get the coffin open!" Naruto barked, tired smudges of black staining under her blue-green eye, and perspiration lining her brows.

One tended to get tired having their soul ripped in half.

The remaining clone shot to her orders, skillfully dodging the blood spikes the abomination shot at her.

Finishing an aerial maneuver, she landed beside the coffin her original had unsealed earlier, and rushed to unlatch it, throwing the lid open.

The abomination's face was half formed, and even with her bleeding flesh bare, her gums and teeth visible, you could tell she was grinning madly.

"Hehehe~" She giggled diabolically, voice raspy.

The real Naruto calmly walked forward, or perhaps, it was her exhaustion that caused her to move so much slower.

She had stopped clutching the hole where her eye should have been, and used her bloodlimit to crystalize the blood there to stop the bleeding.

"Harime-chan..." Naruto called, wheezing slightly for breath. "Its time to go to sleep..."

"Nu-uuuh~! It's play time! Its my time to play~" The one eyed thing whined, blonde hair sprouting out of her skull, before quickly shifting to red.

"I promise I'll let you play." Naruto placated, noting the blood spike sneakily reaching for her liver paused. "But right now, you have to sleep."

"No way~ I've got my own body now, hehehe~ so I can play as much as I want! I don't gotta wait for Danzo-sama to call me~" Harime giggled, climbing clumsily out of the pot.

"You forget something though," Naruto uttered, somewhat darkly. "I'm the boss around here. And I created you. So, when I say sleep-"

She grasped the front of Harime's forming face roughly.

"-you fucking _sleep."_

Naruto hopped up, activating her flying seals, and slammed her other half's back into the black silk of the open coffin.

Harime's eye bulged.

Naruto had always been quick.

The redhead stood up, glaring something fierce.

"Bu-"

Naruto kicked the lid closed. It slammed thunderously, and her clone quickly locked it.

Naruto summoned enough chakra to seal the coffin from the outside, wrapping it in glowing blue chakra chains.

Harime shrieked in outrage, scratching furiously at the lid from the inside.

"No no no no no NO _**NO**__!_" She roared, slamming her body against the lid when she found scratching ineffective.

Naruto and her remaining blood clone watched the coffin slam up and down with a racking force, as if it was alive itself.

Though, Naruto was quite plainly unamused by her other half's boisterous tantrum.

"Let me out Naruto! I wanna play! I wanna play! I wanna play! I WANNA _PLAY!" _Harime screamed.

Naruto sighed wearily, rubbing her temples.

Sensing her original's impending headache, the blood clone fetched her another cigarette, and stuck it between her lips.

Naruto nodded in thanks as the clone lit her cig for her.

Becoming dangerously annoyed with Harime's muffled screeching, Naruto added sound seals around her coffin, muting her completely.

The redhead shifted her cigarette to the right side of her mouth, blue-green eye misting over.

The redhead took a long, mind numbing drag, staring up at her plain ceiling, wondering absently about painting it.

Naruto decided yes, yes she would paint the ceiling. And maybe the walls too. Something interesting and dark. Like the crazy shit she'd just done.

She exhaled lazily, white smoke puffing from her lips.

Yep. She would paint a mural on the ceiling of Harime being created.

_'Maybe if I have kids someday... I'll tell the little bastards about it...'_

The redhead smiled around her cig wistfully, and promptly fainted from chakra exhaustion.

* * *

Naruto woke up with the taste of stale tobacco on the back of her tongue. Her head was lying at an awkward angle, sticky, half congealed, half crustated, blood gluing the right side of her face to the floor.

"Ah fuck..." The redhead groaned. "My neck is _killing _me..."

Naruto ripped her face away from the nastiness it was lying in, causing it to sting awfully, her stomach rolling at the strong stench of bleach and steady decay in the air.

The nine candles hanging above The Gallows sent dancing shadows across the walls as they flickered.

"Shit..." Naruto muttered, rubbing sleep crystals out of the corners of her eyes. "How long 'ave I been out...?"

"A week and four days." Came the flat reply.

Naruto looked up, at the blood clone sitting criss cross applesauce a little under two feet away from her. The clone looked haggard, black bags under her eyes and red hair a ratty nest atop her head. She looked pale too, her shoulders slumped in exhaustion.

"Shit that's a long time!" Naruto panicked. "I never got to meet my team and Konohamaru must think I'm on the Shinigami's doorstep!"

The clone blinked slowly.

"I filled in for you boss." She said dryly.

"Oh. Thanks." Naruto said, pleasantly surprised.

"I'm you." The clone shrugged.

"So what happened while I was out?" Naruto asked, weakly climbing to her feet and stretching, ignoring every single muscle and bone she owned rebelling against her.

"Your teammates are of course, Sasuke, and unfortunately, the pink hag Sakura. Kakashi Hatake is your sensei. You're team seven."

"Fuck life." Naruto grumbled, sniffing one of her pits experimentally, and gagging violently immediately afterwards.

_'In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have done that...'_

"I cleaned up." The clone informed her suddenly, one of it's eyes wandering around the room while the other stayed trained on her original.

Naruto scratched her head.

_'Clone's moving into the loony stage. Probably has only half of her brain cells... I really should dispel her...'_

"But, I didn't get the blood on you, 'cause every time I tried to move you, you groaned in pain. So, I just left you alone."

"Thanks." Naruto said sarcastically, peeling a flake of old blood from her cheek. "Now I've only got the worst neck cramp in the entire elemental nations."

The only reason Naruto wasn't maggot food was because Kyuubi made it so she was incredibly difficult to kill, or die of things normal humans would.

Never let it be said there were absolutely no perks to being a tailed beast jailor.

The red head watched her clone curiously, noting it seemed to be getting paler and paler by the second.

And then, Naruto became grossed out.

The clone's wandering eye suddenly swelled, and blew out. Blood, sickly yellow pus, and clear oily fluids trickling down her face.

"Sorry." The clone said casually.

_'Okay, thats just fucked up.' _Naruto grimaced.

She snapped her fingers, and the clone liquified, but Naruto kept the blood from touching the floor using her bloodlimit.

She stumbled over to the door, undoing all of the seals and stepping out into the light once more. She noticed how pale she was, nearly transparent, and that you could see her veins beneath her skin. Naruto thought about flushing the blood down the toilet, but decided to seal it in a scroll and label it "Rotten Blood, For Future Pranks".

"Need... ramen..." Naruto croaked.

The redhead stumbled past Konohamaru, who had just come into the door, and was making his way to her ramen supply.

She decided that three minutes was too long for nourishment.

"Good Kami in Heaven Naruto you fucking _reek!_" Konohamaru gagged, recoiling as if her odor had literally struck him, going an interesting shade of green, and pinching his nose indignantly. "_What_ have you been _doing? _Rubbing yourself down with an old man's shit and piss?"

Naruto smacked the back of his head, mumbling something along the lines of 'brats should not have such filthy mouths'.

"You're not that much older than me and your mouth is atrocious!" Konohamaru yelped.

"Yeah, but I'm sexy, so it works for me." Naruto retorted, already rooting around in the fridge for a snack.

"You look like a zombie Naruto." Konohamaru deadpanned. "You're not sexy."

"Pfft." Naruto scoffed, settling on a tub of strawberry yogurt that expired two days earlier, and grabbed a clean spoon from the dish rack.

"Please kid, I'm hot whether I look, or smell like a corpse."

"What if both of them are the problem?" Konohamaru huffed, crossing his arms.

"My sexieness is eternal kid, except it." Naruto dismissed, shoveling yogurt into her mouth.

Konohamaru rolled his eyes heavily, watching his wraith-like sister stumble off to no doubt soak in a bubble bath for an hour, and then scrub herself raw to get the stink off of her.

She'd probably stay in the Forest of Death for two weeks, getting healthy on nature and training up to shape again, sending blood clones out into the world to do her bidding.

He shook his head, and went about making himself some ramen.

* * *

Naruto emerged from the bathroom four hours later, stuffed on strawberry yogurt. She retired to her bedroom on unsteady legs. Naruto was quite happy to find a memory scroll sitting atop her dresser.

Her blood clone must have sealed all of her activities into the scroll over the past week and four days, knowing she would lose her mind soon, and that Naruto needed to know what was happening while she was out of it.

Naruto activated the scroll, and a bunch of memories flooded into her brain.

Her expression became deadpan.

Absolutely _nothing _interesting had happened.

Sasuke was a douche angry with the world because he never got to prove to his father he was worth a damn before Danzo had the man's throat slit.

Sakura was fucking _useless, _not to mention a royal pain in the ass.

And Kakashi didn't know a damn thing about teaching kids. So he didn't teach them _anything. _And what was worse? He was three hours late every. _fucking. _day.

Unsurprisingly, D ranks sucked major balls.

Naruto took vindictive pleasure in the fact that her blood clone had scared that blasted cat Tora into submission. So everytime they had that lost pet mission, and Tora knew Naruto was near, the thing automatically followed her back to it's place of suffering. As it feared Naruto _much _more than the Fire Daimyo's fat wife.

Naruto burned the memory scroll.

_'Those experiences were an entire waste of perfectly good blood!' _She inwardly complained, and then, she sobered. _'Well, on the bright side, now I've got a vile substance to prank anyone who so happens to end up on my shit list.'_

Things were fine.

Obviously, the redhead had no reason to worry about things. The only notable thing the clone noticed was that her Dad shot her weird looks when her team picked up missions. They were cautious, yet contemplative, as if he was expecting Naruto to suddenly morph into a heinous, raving lunatic at any given moment, yet hoping she wouldn't at the same time. But, as usual, he never approached her or asked her anything. They weren't close. Naruto could accept that. Even if it sucked more than Sakura did. And that was really saying something.

Naruto's shoulders slumped, and she sighed tiredly.

The redhead shook away her troubling thoughts, running a hand through her semi-wet hair.

She perked up.

_'I just noticed, my eye grew back.' _Naruto thought pleasantly, running a thumb across her healed eyelid. Not a scar nor flaw was felt by her, or to be seen by another's eyes.

Spirits lifted, the redhead dressed in a black jumpsuit, noting how baggy it had become on her.

_'I'm definitely gonna eat like a starving Akimichi, and train like Danzo's looming over me.' _She thought flatly.

_'Well, off to the Forest of Death for me!'_

* * *

Konohamaru allowed his sister to kiss his forehead like she sometimes did, and ruffle his hair affectionately, throwing a 'see you later squirt' over her shoulder as she left out the door.

The eight year old shoveled ramen into his mouth, waving a cheerful goodbye, noting the senbon pouch on her right leg, kunai pouch around her hips, and the black leather backpack slung over one of her shoulders.

"Later Naru!" The kid called after her.

The front door clicked shut.

_'She is so going to the Forest of Death.' _Konohamaru smirked.

* * *

Two weeks later, Naruto strode into her pint house, her skin nearly _glowing _it looked so good. She had, at some point, chopped off the majority of her hair. It was now styled into a neat undercut, her red bang still curtaining the right side of her masked face, and the rest was shoulder length, styled into a messy bun at the back of her head, kept in place by a ring of senbon.

Naruto's jumpsuit was in rags, looking as if it had been mauled by several vicious animals, which couldn't be more spot on to the truth. Naruto's leather pack had suffered a similar fate, rendering it useless, so she had left it to be a giant tiger's chew toy.

The redhead had spent her two weeks living off of wild berries, edible vegetation, training like crazy, and having normal duke outs with the mutated wild life of the Forest of Death.

Naruto lost her hair length to giant leeches that had ambushed her from above. To avoid being sucked dry, she cut them out of her hair and ran for the hills. She stopped at a river in the forest to check the damage. Displeased, she created a blood clone, handed it a kunai, and told it to go wild.

Damn thing had scalped her accidentally.

_Twice._

So, she ended up half bald on one side, and just told her imbecilic clone to fix what it could. And wham bam thank you mam, undercut Naruto was born.

But hey, she kinda liked it. Maybe she'd keep it.

Naruto tossed her jumpsuit tatters into the trash bin, and her equally ruined undergarments. She set her senbon and kunai pouches on the kitchen island, and wandered off to her bathroom for a much needed shower.

When Naruto got out, she went sheet white.

She had just realized she'd left Harime locked in a goddamn coffin for basically an entire _month._

_Fuck! _

A blood clone suddenly climbed through the lace curtains at Naruto's bedroom window.

"News boss. You've got a mission. A nice C rank with the team. You're going to Wave."

Double fuck.


	9. Two's A Horror

**I don't own Naruto.**

** This chapter is a bit slow. But it's necessary. On the bright side, there is bloodthirsty action in the next one, pinky promise. ;)**

* * *

Naruto was dressed in a fresh, high collared, sleeveless, black jumpsuit, (with two orange stripes down each of the the legs).

Her undercut was styled in a bun, kept together by a ring of senbon. The redhead wore her trademark safety pin mask as well. She had just returned from the clothing store that had discount ninja gear in the red light district, previously having been informed by her blood clone that her C rank was starting in four hours.

She spent two and a half those hours shopping.

Which she _despised. _

The redhead stepped cautiously into The Gallows, shuffling over to the forebodingly still coffin lying in the center of the room. She set the four huge bags near the head of the coffin, and deactivated the sound seals around it.

She tensed.

Silence.

The redhead blinked rapidly in surprise.

_'Hm? Quiet huh? It would be nice if it wasn't so menacing...'_

Naruto breathed out a small sigh, gaining her bearings, and nonchalantly studied the glowing blue chakra chains strangling the wooden box.

"Harime-chan...?" The redhead called.

Nothing.

She sighed again.

She had a feeling that the things were going to get seriously messed up.

"Alright, I know you're probably really mad, but I just want you to know, I didn't leave you locked up for so long on purpose."

Still, silence.

Naruto ran a hand through her bangs.

"I'm gonna let you out, okay? But, it's not time to play. You can't do that stuff in the village... and... Don't be mad..."

Nothing.

Ugh.

_'Well, like the old saying goes... "No time like the present".'_

Naruto deactivated the seals.

She unlatched the coffin.

The redhead blinked rapidly once more.

_'Shit...!'_

Her mouth fell open.

Crimson spilled down her chin.

"G-gah!" Naruto coughed.

_'What the __fuck__!?'_

Blue-green eyes traveled down, growing deadpan at the sight of a pale white arm shoved through her middle.

Naruto looked back up.

Her own face smiled cheerfully back at her, only, the left eye of that familiar face was a black hole, ringed by gnarly scar tissue, stretching like jagged sun rays to the apple of her cheek, and disappearing into her hairline.

"I'm not angry." Harime chirped, vampire-like fangs flashing as she smiled, twisting her fingers deep inside the redhead's entrails.

More blood poured from Naruto's mouth.

_'Yeah,' _The redhead thought flatly. _'She's angry.'_

Naruto grinned, closing her eyes to hide the _intense _pain she was in. Usually, she could bare it, nearly any volume of physical pain, but, it would seem Harime also had Blood Release**(1)**. And, unfortunately, she was using their shared blood to turn Naruto's into acid, and liquefy her insides.

"Well, if you're not angry, do you think maybe you could stop destroying my insides?" Naruto smiled, all blood and teeth.

Harime gave Naruto a laughably innocent look. But, she couldn't really pull it off, as she had the devil red eye activated that only appeared when using a powerful technique of Blood Release, or the user was just generally angry.

The white of Harime's eye was ink black, staring up at Naruto ominously.

"Hmmm~?" Naruto's other half hummed. "Are those for me?"

Naruto nearly glared, watching as Harime's single eye pulled away from her, straining to catch a glimpse of the four bags Naruto had brought along with her.

"Yes." The redhead hissed, blood bubbling between her clenched teeth as she lost her patience. "You can see them _after _you get your _fucking arm_ out of my gut."

"'Kay!" The cyclops giggled.

_'Fuck me. Has that side of me always been that annoying?' _The redhead griped. '_Poor Shisui...'_

Harime shrugged, slipping her arm from Naruto's flesh so slowly it could not be described as anything other than cruel.

Naruto scowled when Harime licked the blood from her fingers and upper arm in a particularly vulgar fashion.

The one eyed redhead climbed all the way out of her coffin, and pranced over to her shopping bags, diving into them with much enthusiasm.

Harime pulled out a black, mid thigh, gothic lolita dress and squealed in absolute delight. She turned to Naruto, her single eye Naruto's normal azure blue with swirls of seafoam green.

"They're all so _CUTE!_" Harime shrieked.

"Thought you'd like it." Naruto muttered.

_'Come to think of it, I used to be really into that gothic dress shit when I was smaller...'_

Naruto shook her head, summoning Kyuubi chakra to enhance her healing. She felt her innards reform, torn flesh slowly knitting back together, and pain faded to a dull ache, easily ignored. The chakra quickly spiraled out of control, burning through the redhead's insides destructively, as Naruto had no real understanding or mastery of it. The redhead shoved the potent hateful chakra back into her coils, and it was absorbed by her seal.

**'Who do you think I am, mortal? Do not use my chakra for such marginal things!' **The beast growled suddenly.

_'Marginal?' _Naruto echoed, offended. _'Dude! My insides were basically paste!'_

**'This does not concern me. You would have lived.'**

It would seem the fox would be speaking up a lot more often.

Great.

Pfft. Not really.

_'Besides, you've got plenty of chakra. I'm not a shelter you goddamn bum. Pay me for your stay with chakra you damn dust mop!'_

**'Why you blundering, insignificant, anthropoid, mortal wretched **_**dollymop! **_**I owe you absolutely nothing! ****How DARE you insult **_**me? **_**The Great Kyuubi Kitsune!?' **The fox roared, enraged.

_'Because you're stingy, and I like having solid substance, thank you.' _Naruto crossed her arms, forgetting she was in the presence of her, quite simply, insane other half.

Said other half shuffled closer.

If possible, Kyuubi became even more livid and hateful than normal.

**'I owe you nothing, foolish ape. I was **_**imprisoned. **_**By that cursed red haired bitch!'**

Naruto's eyes flashed red.

Harime's face became curious as she watched Naruto eyes flood with black and red.

_'__Don't talk__ about my mother like that, fox.' _Naruto uttered darkly.

**'You dare to threaten me? Foolish human! What could **_**you **_**possibly do to **_**me? **_**My mere **_**stare**_** has killed those who **_**thought **_**to oppose me!' **Kyuubi's murderous voice was probably rattling the bars of his cage.

Like Naruto gave a fuck.

_'I don't care about that!' _The redhead spat. _'You wouldn't have been sealed if you hadn't of been destroying the village! My mother wouldn't be dead, and my father... heh. Perhaps he would actually glance at me every once in a while.'_

Naruto smiled bitterly for a moment, before it morphed into a dark scowl.

_'But, you __**did **__attack the village, my mother __**is**__ dead, my father can't __**stand**__ me, and you __**are**__ within my care. As much as I hate to admit it, without you, I'd be dead a hundred times over. And there is nothing you can do about being sealed inside me. Unless, I die, or you're ripped from me. Somehow, I don't see either happening anytime soon. So, we __**both **__need to put up with each other. Got it?'_

There was silence.

Naruto pursed her lips.

_'I don't need another thing trying to fill me up with hatred, fox. So don't talk about my mother for what she did. You gave her no other choice.'_

**'Another thing.' **The fox stated, but, somehow, Naruto picked up on his apprehension. **'You say that as if you do not hate me, mortal.'**

There was another silence, though, Naruto was still getting past the fact that the fox wasn't going berserk at her previous monolog. Naruto would set that aside for later musing.

Focusing, she thought about what Kyuubi had said, and decided she would be honest.

_'Hate, is a strong word. I never use it lightly.' _Naruto began grimly. _'I could be like the rest of the village and hate you unquestioningly. But, I know my mother made the decision to protect this place, and my father from the burden of leaving his people by dying. I would be spitting on her sacrifice if I didn't protect this place with everything I am to wallow in hatred. But... then again, I'm curious as to why you would attack the Leaf. You're foul, yes, but way too coherent. You're not a mindless beast like they say. You are extremely intelligent, something I will probably never comprehend. Maybe Danzo's teaching about the underneath the underneath has made me paranoid, but I don't think so. Why would you suddenly decide to attack the village? Where did you even come from?__**(2).**__ I will decide for myself if you deserve to be hated. And honestly, I think long lasting anger in people with such short lives that will never change anything, is beyond stupid. So, no. I don't quite hate you. But I absolutely don't like you either.'_

Naruto was not surprised by the following silence. She knew she was quite scarcely so serious, but this was no joke. Naruto truly felt this way. And she was never one to downplay her own beliefs.

She was however, quite surprised when the fox replied in a thoughtful tone. Not lacking his natural guttural growl, but he was not being menacing with it either.

**'You... are a very peculiar creature.'**

_'I'll take that as a compliment.' _Naruto shrugged, her scowl smoothing over to a lazy gaze.

_'And fox, I thought you wouldn't talk to me until I earned a brain cell?' _Naruto asked, becoming smarmy.

**"Do not think you are clever, mortal.' **Kyuubi reported gruffly.** 'You can twist my words, but that is not what I said.' **

_'Yeah, you told me not to talk to you, but you talked to me. How the hell does that match?' _Naruto huffed.

**'Because.' **Kyuubi said simply. As if it was obvious that this was the answer, and Naruto should've known that.

The redhead fumed.

_'Because what? That's not an answer!'_

**'I grow tired of this. I will simply tell you, my chakra is not a game. Do not use it for trifling things.'**

_'Spilling my guts is trifling?' _Naruto flatlined. _'We'd both be dead.'_

**'I am going to sleep. Silence, ape.'**

Naruto didn't do bullshit. She did solutions. Even if she was getting pissed.

Never let it be said she was very patient.

_'Fine! If it bothers you __**that **__much, I'll ask to use you're goddamn chakra next time, alright?' _The redhead snipped.

Kyuubi didn't answer.

Naruto had no idea it was because he was utterly stunned.

_'Kami that fox is an ass...'_

The redhead blinked, coming back to herself.

She recoiled away from the face that was barely a breath away from her own.

"Harime what the _hell!?_" Naruto yelped.

The cyclops cocked her head to the side curiously.

"What were you and Foxy-chan talking about?" She questioned.

"Nothing important." Naruto brushed off.

For some reason, Harime was still naked.

Naruto's face scrunched up.

"Put some bloody clothes on!"

"Our bodies are identical. I don't see the problem." Harime said honestly, blinking widely.

Naruto's expression flattened.

"Yeah, but they're separate now. So... clothes. Now."

"But I wanna bubble bath~!" The cyclops whined.

"Ugh." Naruto rolled her eyes heavily, shoulders slumping.

_'There's two of me. And one is extremely volatile yet bratty. If I was anybody else, I'd be horrified.'_

* * *

While Harime took an hour in the bathroom, Naruto pulled out her sewing kit, took a black scrap of velvet fabric, and cut it into the katakana for the word "nui"(sewing). She stitched a seal in red thread on the back, so that once it touched skin, it would stick. Naruto neatened the sides of the fabric, packing away her sewing kit just as Harime strode into her bedroom.

The cyclops was donned in a sleeveless black lolita dress made of lace, with a white button collar, and white lace trim around the hem that fell above her knees. Harime's feet were fitted with open toed, platform black boots with white ribbons traveling down the sides like stitching. She wore black lace fingerless gloves that went to her elbows, and her mass of red waves was gathered in high, drill-like twin tails on either side of her head. A large, black lace bow with an orange heart in the middle was positioned in front of her left pigtail, tilted at a stylish angle. Harime also wore a black cloth face mask, much like a certain Hatake, only, hers was decorated with a white stitched smile. Technically being a newborn, the cyclop's skin bore none of Naruto's seals.

_'Getting her to sit down while I do them is going to be a real __**bitch**__. Ugh.'_

Harime did a little twirl for Naruto.

"So? Whaddyou think?" She asked cheerfully.

"It's cute." Naruto admitted. "C'mere for a second?"

The cyclops nodded, skipping over to her other half. She plopped down onto Naruto's bed, peering with her single eye, and gaping hole at the other redhead, intrigued.

"I made an eye patch for you." Naruto said, holding up the velvet fabric.

Her face became thoughtful.

"Though, I wonder why you only have one eye...?"

The cyclops shrugged, more excited about her new accessory.

**'If you wanted your little abomination to have two eyes, then you should've sacrificed both of yours. As long as you had tissue of your original eyes remaining, I would have healed them both as if you had never lost them.' **The Kyuubi suddenly butted in.

Naruto, already used to it, shrugged off his jab at her other half.

_'Huh. Cool. Then, I could just give her one of my eyes now, couldn't I?'_

**'Do as you please, foolish mortal.' **The fox growled, heavy presence retreating to the back of her mind.

_'I thought you were going to sleep?' _Naruto inwardly sneered. _'You seem perfectly awake to me.'_

The fox ignored her.

_'Hmph!'_

"I don't need another eye, Naruto-chan." Harime spoke up, reading her other half's thoughtful look immediately. "Besides, I'm used to looking through one eye anyways."

The cyclops gestured to the ROOT mask hidden in plain sight. It was among the other masks hung upon Naruto's bedroom walls. And what do you know? I was designed so that the right eye only peered through.

"Why the hell did I make my mask look like that anyways?" Naruto muttered.

Well, besides being badass.

"Unconsciously, you knew only half of you would be completing the mission." Harime supplied happily. "My half. So only half of the mask is functional."

_'Sometimes children are scarily perceptive...' _Naruto thought. _'Wait... should I even consider her a kid? Maybe she's just childish and isn't mentally a brat at all. Wait... I should know. She used to be in my head for Kami's sake! Well, her body came out just like mine... So... I'll just say she's twelve.'_

Hopefully Harime wasn't secretly plotting Naruto's demise so she could take her place in the world. It's not like the cyclops could possibly exists without Naruto anyways. Then again, she could lock Naruto away somewhere and give her enough sustenance every once in a while so she would live.

Damn.

Why had Naruto given her crazier other half a body again?

"So, why is the skin around your eye so scarred?" The redhead asked instead.

Harime pouted.

"I was so mad at you, Naruto." The cyclops huffed, crossing her arms childishly. "You left me in the coffin too long!"

"It's not like you can actually die if I don't first." Naruto drawled, pulling off one of her skull rings, drawing beads of red from the freshly torn skin.

Her pigtailed other half became even more sulky.

"That's not the point." She mumbled.

"Whatever." Naruto grumbled. "That doesn't explain why you're scarred."

Harime suddenly flushed.

"I was itchy..." She admitted.

Naruto rose a skeptical brow.

"And mad." Harime hinted. "So I got careless..."

_'I __**knew **__she was mad.'_

It was Naruto's turn to cross her arms.

Wordlessly, Harime held up her hands, showing off her two inch long, razor nails.

"You clawed your own face." Naruto revealed, tone bland.

"Well, you're half of our soul has Foxy-chan bonded to it!" Harime huffed. "_Excuse _me for not being resistant to scarring!"

"Whatever." Naruto muttered, gathering the blood that bubbled up from the blade hidden in her ring.

"You cleaned the hole while you were in the tub, right?" Naruto asked.

"Mhmm~" Harime nodded enthusiastically.

Naruto clasped the cyclop's chin firmly, pulling her closer.

"Good. I've got an hour and thirty minutes 'til I need to meet my team at the Hokage's office to pick up our client." Naruto said, several thin strings of her blood reaching slowly for Harime's face. "I'll stitch up this hole with blood, and then you can put on your new eyepatch."

"Aye aye sir!" Harime saluted goofily.

Nonchalantly, Naruto went about her meticulous task, lips pursed in concentration.

Harime giggled as if it tickled.

She wouldn't be so happy when she realized what Naruto was planning to do.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, holding a hand to her bleeding throat, Naruto created a fresh blood clone to inform Konohamaru when he arrived, that she'd be gone for a few weeks.

* * *

Naruto drifted to the Hokage's office lazily, forty minutes late, and her axe bass slung diagonally across her shoulders. Zipping her mask closed, she stubbed out the cigarette she had lit on the way against her bare inked arm. The burn stung, but it would be gone in a matter of minutes. She hid her stub in her bra, knowing it was futile, as Kakashi would smell the smoke on her, but did it anyways. He would only confront her when they were alone. The lazy Hatake didn't do drama. Naruto could appreciate that.

The redhead floated into the large office with an offhand 'sup'.

"Naruto, you're LATE!" Sakura screeched.

Naruto bristled at the green eyed pinkette.

_'Why is she so fickle and loud? If she thinks that attitude will snag the Uchiha, I really pity her.'_

"I had to seal a little nuisance of mine into her coffin. Too bad she wasn't really feeling getting back in there. She slit my throat with her nails." Naruto grumbled, and then grimaced. "Twice."

Sakura paled.

"Naruto-chan, that's not a good joke." Kakashi-sensei chided, flipping a page in his little pervy orange book. Naruto rolled her eyes when he sniggered lewdly to himself.

"It's not a joke, Sensei. I stopped the bleeding by stitching my throat closed. But I had to change my jumpsuit." Naruto said. "That's why I'm late."

She wasn't about to tell them she picked up a few packs of cigarettes and a bag of peppermints as well, taking her sweet time.

Sasuke looked at her flatly, obviously thinking she was bullshiting, which she kind of was. But not really. Kakashi just nodded absently at the redhead's explanation, not at all paying attention anymore. Her dad though, who sat calmly behind his desk, seemed to be contemplating the truth of her words.

Naruto felt a fresh wave of sadness and shame crash over her at the sight of the blonde man. The sadness, because he still didn't seem to care if she was around or not, and the shame, remembering the painting of Mizuki and her clone Jorogumo she'd thrown at him in spite. Naruto wasn't the most sensible person when she was angry. And her actions always bit her in the ass in the form of guilt, unless she truly thought they were justified.

No one noticed her slightly dull eyes.

Shattering the potentially awkward moment, a knock came from behind the double doors Naruto had previously flew through.

The light came back to the redhead's eyes at the distraction.

"Enter." Minato called.

The nobs twisted and clicked mechanically.

A heavily tanned, scotch smelling man, with a straw hat, beady eyes, and scruffy gray goatee shuffled in on geta sandals.

According to Naruto's blood clone memory scroll, he was Tazuna of Wave. A bridge builder in need of escorting, and protection from bandits. He was also a drunken jerk who said Naruto was a midget and had a stupid look in her eyes. But Naruto wasn't even short! She was the same height as duckass (aka Sasuke, her current mission assignment from Danzo). And sure, she could be pretty hotheaded, but she wasn't stupid.

Tazuna had been the stupid one for provoking her.

Her blood clone had set him straight by smearing blood down the side of his face. Judging by the wary looks he kept sending the redhead, he was still sore about what her clone had done.

Naruto snickered behind her hand.

She perked up.

The redhead, apparently hadn't been paying much attention to the following conversation, as her teammates were already ushering Tazuna out of the office, bidding The Fourth goodbye.

Naruto quickly made a decision.

She turned to her father, and bowed at the waist.

"Gomen ne, Hokage-sama." Naruto murmured. "I shouldn't have let you see that painting. It was childish of me, and I let my anger consume me for a while. I didn't, uh... I didn't actually eat him or anything... The traitor Mizuki was taken care of by one of my clones, Jorogumo."

The redhead shot up and flew out of the office _so _quickly, she left a red streak behind her.

Minato got up to answer a nano second too late.

Naruto was gone.

Minato slumped into his chair.

"Damnit."

* * *

At Konoha's main gate, Naruto stood with her teammates as Kakashi-sensei filled out the necessary paperwork with the eternal Chunin guards to leave.

The redhead ignored Sakura's ranting about her being late _again _in the _same day, _and how she and Kakashi would probably be late to their own weddings, if anyone took pity long enough to marry them before they regretted it.

The redhead kept her opinion about a dude slitting his own wrist before marrying the pinkette to herself.

Tazuna, uninterested in ninja business unless they were covering his ass, stood outside of the village gate, leaning against a tree and sneaking (not so sneakily), sips of sake.

Shaking her head, the redhead looked up at the sky, determining it was around noon.

She instinctively tensed.

Sensing a fast approaching presence, Naruto whirled around, just in time to catch an armful of chocolate haired eight year old boy.

"Sis!" Konohamaru exclaimed, hugging the life out of her.

"'Sis'?" Kakashi echoed, just finishing up his paperwork.

"Yeah Naruto, I thought you were an orphan?" Sakura blurted heartlessly.

Even Sasuke shot her a dirty look at that.

The mint eyed girl shrank back uncertainly.

"My bad." Sakura muttered, cheeks clashing with her hair horribly.

Naruto shrugged in response to the questioning looks being aimed at her.

"Really Sensei," The redhead drawled cooly, petting Konohamaru's goggled head affectionately. "You'd think being an elite like yourself, you'd know the kid."

Kakashi had the decency to flush, rubbing the back of his silver hair, eye smiling sheepishly.

"Maa maa, I didn't recognize him for a moment with that haircut."

Naruto's blue-green eyes bulged.

_'Haircut!?'_

She looked down at her surrogate little brother, abhorred to find he had an undercut similar to her own, only, it was in a short ponytail at the back of his head, and he had choppy bangs falling in both his eyes.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto nearly shrieked. "What the hell did you do to your hair!?"

"I had it cut a few hours ago. Y'know, by that nice guy who owns the tattoo shop in the brothel basement?" Konohamaru said, looking up at her and grinning endearingly.

Naruto fought off a severe case of cardiac arrest.

"You were in the Red Light district? _Alone!?" _Naruto yelped. "Are you bloody MAD!?"

Konohamaru's grin quickly deflated, morphing into a pout.

"I wasn't alone. Your blood clone took me." The boy said. "She said, "Don't worry kid, boss'll love it. Don't you wanna look like her?'."

He grinned again.

"Of course I did, so I got it cut. Pretty cool huh?"

_'Jiji is going turn me inside out when he finds out about this...'_

"Oh that clone is _so _Jorogumo food." Naruto growled.

Her clones were always on the sassy, pranking, and sarcastic side for some reason. It was a never ending mystery.

"She dispelled herself in the kitchen sink, Naruto." Konohamaru deadpanned, seeing the irritation and promise of murder in her blue-green eyes. "I sealed the rest in this storage scroll for you."

While Naruto silently fumed, calling her clone all kinds of bitches and things that shall not be named, her little bro pulled a small red and black scroll from the shuriken pouch at his waist.

"Thanks little dude." Naruto muttered, tucking away the scroll in her own shuriken pouch.

She had told Konohamaru a long time ago that 'blood is precious'. Naruto never wasted blood, because using it carelessly made her anemic, and the only way to get better was to pass out for weeks, or drink the blood of someone else. (As the hospital refused to treat her for being the Fox container). Her blood cells were carnivorous to foreign cells. They ate them to nothing and converted the consumed blood into her own, replacing the cells with her own. To avoid either of the scenarios entirely, Naruto stored blood into scrolls to limit how much she bled everyday.

Because she always had clones babysitting Konohamaru while she was doing whatever, the eight year old began sealing the blood into scrolls for her if they dispelled early, as she had taught him the basics of sealing already. Maybe after her C rank, she could get the eight year old started on seal tags.

"You didn't rush all the way here just to give me this scroll, did you?" Naruto chuckled, already over her irritation. "You must know I've got these sealed all over my body, right?"

"Of course I know that." The boy huffed. "I came to see you off, you dork. And to tell you to come back."

Naruto balked slightly.

"It's only a C rank, squirt. Of course I'm coming back."

Konohamaru became somewhat down at those carefree statements.

"Weren't you the one who said any mission can go horribly wrong? And ninja make the impossible possible?" The boy muttered, burying his face in Naruto's abdomen, and hugging her tightly.

_'Sometimes this kid's intelligence throws me off completely.'_

Naruto blinked, before she smiled kindly beneath her mask.

"Yeah kid, you're right. I did say that. And dont forget it, 'cause it's true." Naruto conceded, ruffling his hair when he looked up at her, horror evident in his dark eyes.

"Don't worry so much though." Naruto chuckled, eyes crinkling as she grinned. "I can't die before you steal the Fourth's hat, can I?"

Konohamaru flushed, but then, he returned his older sister's grin wholeheartedly, nodding happily.

"Mm!" He confirmed.

"Well that settles it then. I'll be back. So, later. Okay?" Naruto said.

Konohamaru released her, stepping back and flushing even more when she pinched his cheek teasingly. He didn't have the heart to smack her hand away though.

"Later Naru!" Konohamaru waved.

Naruto nodding once, she turned and lifted from the ground, floating over to Tazuna.

Stunned at the display of affection, as they thought Naruto's heart was black through and through, her teammates followed silently. Kakashi had watched, interested, though, seemed to be "innocently" reading his vile book.

* * *

Two hours of traveling at civilian pace, Sakura stopped transitioning between bothering their client for details on Wave, and pestering Sasuke for either dates, or even an annoyed glance. Sadly, neither she had received from the stoic Uchiha who was content to ignore her existence entirely. Apparently, she had become depressed.

Naruto counted two minutes before Sakura opened her mouth again.

"So Naruto, what was up with you and that kid anyways?" Asked the nosey pinkette.

Naruto relaxed her chakra, smoothly coming out of flying and walking along side Tazuna, shooting an annoyed look at the back of Sakura's big head.

"You mean the Third's grandson?" She asked casually, knowing full well who Sakura was referring to.

"No way!" Sakura yelped, glancing over her shoulder with a rude amount of skepticism. "That little boy is the Third's grandson? What the heck is he doing hanging around _you?_"

Naruto scoffed at the sneer in Sakura's tone towards the end. But she could tell Kakashi and Sasuke were equally intrigued, even if they hid it well. Tazuna was in his own world, surrounded in a diamond formation by team seven. Sakura at point, Naruto right, Sasuke left, and Kakashi at the rear.

"I guess you could say he's my student." Naruto murmured, inspecting her glittering black nails.

"You?" Sasuke grunted, surprising even Tazuna that he'd spoken. "Why would you be anyone's sensei? Let alone someone like The Third's grandson."

"Yeah!" Sakura exclaimed like the mindless sheep she was. "You're just a dead last Naruto. I bet you barely passed the Academy Graduation Exam."

Naruto rolled her eyes. Really, she could see why they would be reluctant to believe her capable of teaching anyone. Because when they'd taken the bell test, her blood clone (as Naruto had been out of commission from creating Harime's body) had rushed in like an idiot, and ended up being tied to a stump. Obviously, Kakashi had given them a second chance in the form of sharing lunch, and they passed when Sasuke gave Naruto a rice ball against Kakashi's orders. It had been a prank so her teammates would believe she'd gotten by on dumb luck alone. Sadly, it had worked on all but Kakashi.

The other twelve year olds seemed to have forgotten Naruto had neutralized them both, including Ino, in a matter of seconds before Shisui showed up.

Naruto sighed in exasperation.

_'I knew I should've dropped out of the Academy when I had the chance...'_

"The only reason I was dead last, is because I don't give a damn about school." Naruto stated. "And I wasn't taking the bell test seriously because no one took me seriously. I'm the kind of person who gives the respect they get."

Kakashi seemed thoroughly impressed.

The best lies are ones derived from truths.

1\. Naruto didn't care about school, but her missions from Danzo and her goofing off blood clones is what caused her to get terrible grades.

2\. She wasn't even at the bell test, her clone goofed off, as she had been nearing her expiration date.

3\. Naruto could be pretty rude and careless, but, she was capable of being really polite as well.

Like her idiot peers would buy any of that. Even if she could tell them. Which she couldn't.

Sakura made to retort something no doubt incredibly rude, but they all had just passed a conveniently placed puddle of water. Funny thing was, it hadn't rained in weeks.

Sasuke noticed.

So did Naruto.

Kakashi, was torn to ribbons.

* * *

**(1). I just realized I hadn't said the name of Naruto's Bloodlimit is Blood Release. Sorry guys. '(-_-)**

**(2). Naruto has no idea Kurama was sealed into her mother.**

**NOTE: Remember Naruto originally decided to train Konohamaru, as she recognized his potential as a shinobi. But, she quickly fell in love with him as a brother, and they became very close. Konohamaru told her about dreaming to be Hokage after she told him about her bloodlimit, which was two weeks after they first met. **

**Stay tuned for: Sickly Infatuation (title for next chapter)**

**WARNING: Next chapter, Harime-chan gets to play~**

**'Til next time. **


	10. Sickly Infatuation

**Anonymoose: Is it messed up your review made me laugh my ass off? Lmao. Anyways, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. **

**Kurasabe: Hope you don't mind my using your term in the fic. But, I liked it. Had a nice ring to it, y'know?**

**WARNINGS: Foul language, blood, Harime, gore, and madness.**

**I don't own Naruto. **

**Enjoy. ;)**

* * *

Naruto discreetly slipped off one of her skull rings, tucking it away in her senbon pouch. Red pooled between her fingers, and bended to her will. Team seven, with the addition of Tazuna, walked past a puddle of water, three of five alert to the fact that it hadn't rained in weeks.

They were all strolling leisurely down the worn dirt path of the forest, when two floods of killing intent spilled into the atmosphere, slaying the image of peace.

"What the-!?"

The genin whirled around just in time to see something absolutely staggering.

Kakashi was engulfed by razor chains that shot from the puddle, torn to fleshly lumps in a matter of seconds.

Tazuna went sheet white, and Sakura screamed in utter terror as Kakashi's pieces pelted the forest floor, stirring up clouds of dirt.

Sasuke pulled out a shuriken and a kunai, feet sliding apart in his taijutsu form.

Naruto did the same, crouching down more, much like a cat preparing to pounce. Her left hand was extended in a claw-like gesture, and her right hand near her chest, wielding an eight inch hunter's knife of blood in a reverse grip.

Two men wearing rebreathers shot out of the puddle, wearing matching gauntlets connected by the chains used to kill Kakashi.

"One down." One of the nin hissed.

"Four to go." The other chuckled.

The two nin, who Naruto recognized as C rank missing nin from Mist, separated. One going left, and the other right.

Sakura found enough courage to draw a kunai, holding it with both hands near her chest, with the tip facing away from her.

The cloaked nin that went left flashed in a streak of black before the pinkette, whipping his end of the chain at her.

Sweat lined Sakura's brow, but something zipped by her, pinning the approaching chain to a tree.

_Shiiiiiing!_

_Thunk._

It was the Uchiha's shuriken.

Sasuke ran forward, remaining kunai ready to pierce flesh. He threw it into the left foot of the caught Mist nin, causing him to howl in pain. The Uchiha followed up by dashing at him, roundhousing the man in the chin, and then elbowing him in the center of his solar plexus. The man wheezed, bones cracking as the Uchiha forced them to cave in. Sasuke flashed behind him, and chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed, green eyes sparkling in gratitude and admiration.

"Hn." The Uchiha grunted.

The nin that went right, abandoned his chain as soon as his partner had been caught, and went straight for Tazuna's back while two of the genin were distracted.

_'So that's your game is it?' _Naruto thought.

Tazuna didn't notice the man quickly approaching his back, but that was okay.

Naruto had it.

She used Shisui's favorite trick, appearing in front of the remaining nin, and deflecting his gauntlet claw with her blood blade.

_Clang!_

The Mist nin struggled to overpower Naruto as their weapons of choice locked together. Though, she had no trouble with raw strength alone keeping him back.

"I don't think so." The redhead taunted.

"You little brat!" The Mist shinobi growled.

Naruto smiled.

Blood dripped from her blade, and slid over the Mist nin's.

"What the he-"

The droplets quickly stretched, sliding beneath the nin's sleeve.

He howled in pain as Naruto's destructive blood sank into his pores.

"**Blood Release: Acid Blood Infection.**" Naruto announced.

The Mist nin stumbled back, grasping his right arm, which had began spasming like mad.

Kakashi suddenly appeared behind the man, making to choke him out.

Naruto glanced over to the place of his "death", unsurprised by the pile of shredded log.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura blurted, relieved.

Sasuke shot her a glare, quickly silencing her.

"No, Sensei." Naruto said, freezing the man in his actions. Her hand dipped into the pouch around her right leg.

The Mist nin began screaming in pain, and made to flee.

Naruto flicked a senbon carelessly, sending it straight through his left knee cap.

His leg buckled, shutting down on him, and he tumbled to the ground.

"Y-you little b-bitch! Wh-what have you _done!?_"

"I've been called worse buddy." The redhead drawled. "If you want a rise out of me, you're gonna have to do better than that."

She flicked another two senbon into his remaining arm and leg, paralyzing them.

The Mist nin sputtered in incoherent rage.

Naruto looked up into her Sensei's questioning eye.

"I imagine you and the old drunk have a lot to talk about, ne Sensei?" She copied his eye smile. But they both knew she wasn't smiling.

She was speaking to him.

By closing her eyes in a potentially dangerous situation, she was showing Kakashi that she trusted him to protect her from possible enemies. By directing him to the bridge builder, she was also asking him to take Sakura and Sasuke away, as they didn't have time for all the questions the genin would no doubt have if they saw what she was about to do.

She was asking him to trust her.

And for some reason...

Kakashi nodded grimly.

He sliced Tazuna with a razor look, confirming he and the old drunk were going to have a chat.

The drunk flinched, but his shoulders sagged a moment later, telling them he was conceding.

"Come along Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan." The scarecrow called, knowing Tazuna would wordlessly follow him into the foliage of the trees, and away from Naruto.

"What about the dobe?" Sasuke demanded, wanting to know why Naruto was getting so much attention.

"You did a really good job taking down the missing nin, Sasuke." Kakashi said, as if he hadn't heard anything. "Now we're going to talk to Tazuna-san, as I'm _sure _he might know what's going on here."

Tazuna gulped.

Sakura looked back over her shoulder at the redhead who had crouched down, just beside the second, immobile, yet conscious missing nin.

The pinkette watched Naruto's blood blade revert back to liquid, and splash into the grass, instantly causing it to wilt.

From what the pinkette understood, Naruto's blood wasn't harmful unless she wanted it to be. She guessed if Naruto was weaponizing it, even if it went back to liquid, it would still be hazardous. Everyone in the Academy had known Naruto had a bloodlimit. But seeing it in action, and how nonchalantly Naruto injured herself to access her power... it was... startling.

Sakura shivered.

"Sensei? Why's Naruto staying with that nin?"

Kakashi eye smiled down at her.

But something wasn't right.

"Sakura-chan. Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to."

Sakura swallowed, paling.

Sasuke's fists clenched, and he scowled.

* * *

Naruto drew a seal in blood across the grass she killed. She waddled aside so she was beside the Mist nin's shoulder, instead of near his feet.

The redhead looked at the Mist nin's arm, where she had commanded her blood to concentrate in, and not infect his entire body. Her blood had eaten it almost down to the bone, the flesh raisin-like, splitting open and secreting streams of scarlet that killed whatever it touched.

"You seem to be in pain." Naruto observed casually.

The Mist nin cussed at her furiously, but she paid it no mind.

At this point, she wasn't feeling much of anything. Just the need to complete her mission.

Danzo had trained her well enough that she could ignore her little amount of morals, and her guilt while on a mission. But it didn't change what she felt from her actions _after _the mission.

"I can end your pain for you, if you want." Naruto offered. "If I cut off that arm, you'll be fine, because the infection is only there. But, you'll have to give me something first."

"Fuck you!" The Mist nin spat. "Just kill me! Because I won't tell you anything!"

"I knew you would say that." Naruto sighed.

_'People always want to give others a hard time... ugh.'_

She gathered her chakra, causing her fingers to catch light with blue flames. She completed a chain of handseals, and pressed her fingers over her seal in the grass.

"**Fuuinjutsu Style: Coffin Summoning(1)**."

The seal burnt out, a flash of blue sparked up, and as it died, a deep red coffin erected quickly by the redhead's side, clicking open.

The redhead prepared herself for a tongue lashing.

"Naruto, I swear to the _Shinigami_ I'll bloody _eviscerate_ you if you _ever _lock me in there again!" Harime shrieked.

"You're agitated," The crouched redhead stated. "That's good... You can take it out on my tight lipped friend here."

The pigtailed cyclops blinked rapidly down at Naruto's prey, before her blue-green eye flooded with red and black.

"Hmm~ What's this~?" Harime sang, forgetting about her irritation for a moment. "You brought me a present? Hehehe~ you're forgiven!"

"Thanks," Naruto uttered blandly. "Now, we're gonna play one of my... what the hell are you?" The redhead muttered.

Harime blinked innocently with her devilish eye, shrugging.

Naruto sighed explosively.

"Let's call Harime-chan my "significant other"."

"Please don't use air quotes Naru-chan." Harime piped up cheerfully.

"Why not?" Naruto asked, raising a dark brow at her other half.

"Dunno~" Harime giggled, folding her clawed hands behind her back, and cocking her head to the side. "It just seems kind of douche-y."

"Ugh." Naruto groaned, rolling her eyes heavily. "Whatever."

She turned back to the Mist nin, whose covered face was contorted in agony, his arm having been eaten to nothing, a line of steaming blood, powdered bone, and ruined flesh gathered in the place were his limb should have been lying.

"As I was saying, before I was so _**rudely **__interrupted..."_

Harime pouted.

"We're going to play one of my Significant Other's favorite games."

The cyclops perked up happily.

"And he's tight lipped you say?" The cyclops inquired.

"Yep. And he's got a partner over there. They smell similar. So... I'm guessing brothers." Naruto answered cooly, gesturing with her thumb over her shoulder to the other guy's general direction.

The cyclops turned to look, single red iris lighting up with morbid glee at the crumpled form in the grass.

"Oh hoh~ What fun!" Harime laughed. "This is the perfect scenario to play the Magician game! And that guy will be my lovely assistant!"

Harime skipped over to the other Mist shinobi that Sasuke had taken out. She pulled the kunai pinning his foot out, tossing it carelessly over her shoulder, and yanking the poor guy up by his bush of black hair, dragging him back over to Naruto with no trouble at all.

"Here's how this is gonna fly," Naruto said seriously, peering into the infected man's pain clouded eyes. "You're gonna tell me what I want to know, and you're going to do it now. Or brother dearest over there-"

Harime pulled him up higher by the hair, pointing to him curiously, as if Naruto was referring to someone else.

"-Gets to be Harime-chan's new toy." Naruto finished. "I want to tell you in advance, she's very destructive. And she _always_ breaks her toys."

The cyclops nodded theatrically in agreement.

"F-fuck you..." The Mist nin stuttered. "My brother k-knows _exactly _what we were g-getting into w-wh-hen... we b-became Merc Nin... A-anything you d-do... to us... won't m-make us t-talk..."

"Hmmmm." Harime hummed, tapping her chin with a razor claw thoughtfully. "But what if I don't _want _you guys to talk? What if I want my lovely assistant here to sing for me?"

"Wh-what...?" The Mist shinobi croaked. "What t-the h-hell... a-are you babbling a-about...?"

"I'm the magician, you see." Harime informed him, nodding sagely to her own statement.

Soon though, she was sniggering madly to herself, and she couldn't keep up her wise act.

"Hehehe~ I'm going to show you a really cool magic trick! One when someone's insides come to the _outside_!" Harime laughed uproariously between her breaths, barely communicating properly. "And it'll make my assistant sing beautifully while I'm performing! Doesn't that sound like fun~?"

The Mist shinobi growled something angrily between his pained wheezes.

With no prompting at all, Naruto's hand dipped into the shuriken pouch around her hips, and pulled out some smelling salts.

"If I wake your brother up, it'll be too late." Naruto said. "Tell me who you're working for, why you want the bridge builder, and if you have allies."

"G-go f-fuck yourself...!" The Mist nin spat.

Naruto shrugged, hopping to her feet and closing the small distance between Harime and herself.

The cyclops held up the limp man even more, so he was standing sort of slouched over, leaning heavily against her shoulder. Naruto waved the salts around his rebreather.

He shifted his face away from the stench, eyes squeezing shut even tighter. The redhead persisted with her smelling salts.

"U-ugh... wha...?" The man slowly came to, eyes blinking groggily.

Naruto bit her hand, a large amount of blood flowing out and slithering onto the forest floor. The redhead quickly commanded her blood to sew the man's sandals to the ground, and the rest snaked up his body, stitching his arms to his sides.

He was officially defenseless.

"Now, let the game begin!" Harime exclaimed, pushing the confused man off of her so he stood up on his own.

He looked down, dark eyes widening.

"Brother!" He blurted. "What the hell happened? Your _arm-!"_

His floored brother had no time to respond.

"And for my first magic trick, I will make the color red appear from nowhere! Observe!" Harime announced, gesturing to the highly confused man standing beside her.

The man struggled, horrified to find that his arms were sewn agonizingly tight to his torso, and his feet refused to move.

He couldn't run.

So he began to panic.

The cyclops positioned her right hand so that it was formed like an arrowhead.

Naruto stepped back.

Harime sliced her claws deeply through the standing man's middle.

He screamed.

Red gushed out of the wound, staining the Mist nin's dark clothes.

The cyclops laughed, holding up her blood slicked hand.

"And now you see? I made red appear from nowhere! Amazing right?"

"Y-you're fucking c-crazy!" The nin on the ground yelled, eyes wide with trepidation as he watched his brother fold over at the waist in pain.

"Who's your employer?" Naruto asked, tilting her head nonchalantly to dodge, as her other half had flicked the blood from her fingers.

It missed.

"I t-told you... that I _won't _t-talk...!" He bit out. "A-and neither will m-my brother! Y-you're j-just going t-to kill us anyways!"

Naruto pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Carry on with the show, Harime-chan." The redhead drawled, pulling out a single death stick, and tucking the pack back into her shuriken pouch.

Harime nodded.

"I'm so glad! I wasn't done playing anyways~"

Naruto unzipped her mask, sticking the cigarette between her lips, and lighting it with a small fire jutsu.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Harime chirped, looking at the floored Mist shinobi.

"J-just... _kill _us already... you s-sick _whores!" _He roared.

Harime's devilish eye narrowed, and her mask stretched, crinkles gathering around the corners, telling the story of her large, insidious grin.

The pigtailed redhead snatched the standing man's head back by his hair. She forced him to bend backwards, making him cry out in pain as the wound on his abdomen stretched, heavily weeping crimson.

He tried to yank himself away from her iron grip, though, it was futile.

"Can you guess what I can make appear from here?" The cyclops questioned, snickering darkly as she tapped a place just a bit to the left, slightly above the incision deep in the Mist shinobi's middle. With the stitching design on the front of her mask, it seemed as if someone had tried to sew her mouth closed, but she was simply too amused to have them falter her grin.

"Alright, obviously we've got a party pooper." Harime pouted, as the floored shinobi only growled and spit curses at her.

"Obviously," Naruto agreed, nodding wisely, taking a deep drag from her cigarette, and blowing out a long plume of smoke.

"Alright, I'll bite." Naruto drawled, crossing her arms. "What're you gonna make appear next, Harime-chan?"

"Watch and be mystified!" Harime exclaimed grandly.

She slipped her claws into his wound, making the Mist nin gurgle in pain, mercilessly ripping his flesh even more as her hand dived _deeper._

Harime sighed in bliss when he began to scream in utter agony, writhing violently in pain for an escape that he could not reach.

"No! Brother!" The floored shinobi yelled, eyes lit with desperate fright.

Harime's hand disappeared into his skin.

"Just listen to that beautiful music..." The cyclops hummed, pleased.

Naruto smoked her cigarette, watching with half lidded azure blues, ears tuned into the wet tearing, and squelching of flesh.

Harime brutally snapped the bones of his rib cage in her way, and he began quaking uncontrollably.

She felt around, probing his insides as his eyes rolled around like marbles in their sockets, his body going into shock.

"Now where in the name of Gumo's Lair is tha- _EUREKA!_"

When Harime pulled her wrist from the Mist nin's body, her hand was fisted around a brown, blood slicked, and oval _thing._

"Is that his _spleen?_" Naruto asked, at the same time that Harime exclaimed "Ta-da!" enthusiastically.

"And yes Naru-chan, this is a spleen." Harime said kindly.

"Ew." Naruto muttered.

Harime giggled.

At a choked gasp, they both turned back to the situation at hand.

The nin in the cyclop's hold had a mixture of foam and scarlet oozing from beneath his rebreather, his body vibrating with the force of his shock.

"Oh _God!_" The nin on the ground wailed, helplessly watching his brother suffer immensely. "S-stop it! Y-you evil b-bitches...!"

Naruto's eyes sharpened.

_'Got you...'_

He'd talk. The redhead was sure of it.

Harime tossed the small brown organ, so that it flopped wetly onto the center of the lying Mist nin's chest.

He screamed in terror, anguish, and rage.

"Tell me what I want to know, and we'll end this." Naruto stated, knowing they'd won.

"Y-you _monsters!"_

Harime suddenly went very still.

Naruto sighed, stubbing out her cigarette, and tucking it behind her ear. She took the stub hidden in her bra, and flicked it off to the right.

The cyclops hit a pressure point in the seizing man's neck, forcing him back into unconsciousness. She was standing over the hysterical man on the forest floor in an instant, leaving the other brother to crumble over backwards, his sandals still rooting him to the ground.

Harime dropped into a squat.

"I really don't think you understand what a monster is, my friend." The cyclops chided kindly.

Even so, she managed to be entirely sinister.

Her black sclera had glowing red veins creeping across it's gleaming surface, traveling like spiderweb cracks across glass, leading to a furious lava red iris.

She pulled down her mask, her whiskered cheeks creasing deeply with the force of the grin upon her face. All of her teeth seemed to have been sharpened to fine points, giving her a shark-like appearance.

"Monsters are people who teach others the meaning of true despair, and never allow them salvation."

Her grin never faltered as she spoke to him in soft tones, her eye narrowed with the savagery of her abominable mood.

It was entirely frightening.

How her voice was so easily, and utterly contradicting her evil face. Harime spoke in the tone of a loving mother, used only in special, tender moments. Someone teaching a life lesson to someone very dear to them.

And that ability alone, was enough to put the fear of Kami in the Mist shinobi.

"G-Gato!" He stuttered. "Zabuza-sama t-took a job t-to kill Tazuna t-the bridge builder! We're t-the D-demon B-brother's! W-we w-work for Zabuza t-to raise m-money f-for th-the B-blood Limit C-civil W-war! T-to k-k-kill th-the Mizukage Y-Yagura!"

"Gato?" Naruto mused allowed, stroking her smooth chin. "The business tycoon? Of Gato Incorporated...?"

"Y-yes!" The Mist shinobi nearly sobbed.

"Nice to see you finally decided to cooperate." Naruto drawled. "Too bad you made my friend here angry."

The Mist nin looked into Harime's single menacing eye.

And he knew.

This is what it was to look into the eyes of a demon.

"It was a monster that made me the way I am in the first place." Harime murmured softly. "I can never be the innocent child I once was. I'm just a creature sworn to protect those who despise me. Those who allow me no place in the light. But that's okay. Because you can have fun in the darkness too."

Harime ripped off the Mist nin's rebreather, tossing it haphazardly over her shoulder, and took hold of the bloodied spleen she'd torn from his brother's body.

The cyclops smiled.

The Mist nin gaped at her.

"W-what are you-"

She shoved the dark organ into his open mouth.

Both redheads watch his face contort in pure disgust and horror.

Harime laughed.

And she laughed.

And she laughed.

And she _laughed. _

Naruto looked away.

The Mist nin choked on the flesh, but Harime forced his mouth closed with both of her hands.

He couldn't struggle. Naruto had paralyzed him.

"Does it taste good?" Harime asked, cackling boisterously, eye alight with helpless insanity. "Can you taste his pain? Can you taste how terrified he was when I ripped it from his body? Well? _Can _you?"

The cyclops pulled away one of her hands from his mouth, and pinched his nose closed.

Tears streamed out of the Mist nin's dark eyes, and his face tinged with blue.

Expression tortured, he swallowed.

Harime guffawed, watching the bulge travel down his throat with sick glee.

She kept his mouth closed as she released his nose. His chest heaved greatly as his nose sucked in oxygen desperately, snuffling and snorting as he choked on every other breath.

And then, the Mist shinobi realized the weight of what he had done.

Blue quickly shifted to green as he gagged violently.

Harime turned his head to the side, vomit rushing up his throat, and spilling out of his mouth, forming a nasty puddle around his cheek.

He didn't say anything.

But his tears told of his despair, and a deep newfound hatred that would never be rectified.

He whimpered pathetically.

"That's an interesting expression." Harime chirped, back to her old cheerful self, her devilish eye fading to blue-green. "But, I don't have any paints on me."

Naruto looked at her other half, watching her identical lips form into a misleading cute pout.

"I know!" The cyclops perked up. "To keep such an interesting face alive, I'll add you to my Toy Box!"

Naruto stiffened.

The Toy Box was... it was a place.

A place much like Jorogumo's Coffin. She could summon it to her location from where she had it stored secretly in the Leaf. The reason Jorogumo didn't decay, was because Naruto had used seals to bind a pocket dimension, where time did and space not exist, to a material object. Jorogumo's pocket dimension was obviously, within a coffin. The pocket dimension in the Toy Box was bonded to a large wooden chest.

The Toy Box was where Naruto kept the bodies of enemy shinobi that particularly amused, or intrigued her when she used to be under the influence of Harime. But now that Harime and Naruto had separate bodies, she'd honestly forgotten about it.

The thing about the Toy Box was, no one's corpse was put in there unless they had been altered first. More often than not, they were turned into dolls with the souls of whoever had been killed bonded to them. Under the influence of Harime, Naruto had utterly broke her opponents, and if she liked their expression, she bonded their souls to life sized toys, filling them up with the entrails of the original shinobi's body. By bonding their sorrowful and hateful souls to an inhuman object, Naruto turned them into mindless things that only acted on the last thing they felt when they were alive.

Sorrow and hatred.

The redhead had never actually summoned one of her dolls in battle, but if she did, they would destroy any living thing in their path, thinking it to be the one who had reduced them to such a pitiful existence.

"Harime." Naruto spoke up grimly. "We're in the middle of a mission that should be classified as A, at worse, possibly S ranked. We don't have _time _for you to play around anymore."

"Awwww~ But I still wanna play Naruto-chan! Please? Can I still play? Can I?" The cyclops whined.

Naruto's lips pursed beneath her mask.

"Tell you what?" Naruto muttered, forcing blood out of the bite wound on her hand that had scabbed over. "I'll summon the door to The Gallows for you, and while you're there, you can use whatever you need to make your new dolls."

"_Really?_" Harime squealed, blue-green eye sparkling.

"Yeah, sure." Naruto confirmed, dropping into a squat and drawing a seal in the blood that had dripped into the grass.

The seals carved into The Gallows door weren't only to keep others out. It had the same seals that were at the bottom of Jorogumo, and Harime's coffins, and the Toy Box as well. Which were used to summon them to Naruto's location.

Flashing through handseals, Naruto's fingertips once again, ignited with blue flames.

She pressed them against the bloody seal.

"**Fuuinjutsu Summoning: Gallows Chamber Door**."

A familiar dark oakwood door rose from the blue flames that flared up from the seal.

Naruto stood up, walking around the flat frame and smearing her bloodied hand down the locking seals. Harime did the rest, shutting down the seals with chakra.

Naruto twisted the gold knob, pushing the door open, a whiff of old blood, peppermint, and stale scroll paper brushing past her masked face.

_'Home sweet home.' _

Harime collected the two Demon Brothers, dragging them by the hair, one blissfully unconscious, and the other, whimpering every so often in pain and fear.

The pigtailed cyclops tossed them carelessly onto the bloodstained floor of The Gallows.

"Just don't leave The Gallows Harime, alright? I don't want you to run into Konohamaru or anything." Naruto called. "Also, summon your coffin and get back in when you're done, so I can summon you to me later."

"Will do!" The cyclops saluted.

She walked back over to Naruto, pushing the door to a crack.

The cyclops cocked her head to the side, massive drill-like curls swishing with the curious motion.

"You seem like something's on your mind, Naru-chan." Harime observed innocently.

It was a twisted sort of irony, that she could look so harmless, even with her hands being covered in blood, and her teeth filed to monstrous points.

Naruto stared at her other half's teeth.

The cyclops blinked.

"After you locked me in the coffin again, I got bored and sharpened them with my fingernails." Harime said, holding up her indestructible razor nails.

"Uh... cool...?" Naruto offered awkwardly.

"Oh!" The cyclops chuckled, pressing a bashful hand to her smiling lips. "Was that not what you were wondering about?"

"Eh, no." Naruto said. "Actually, I wanted to ask you why you never stay angry when I lock you in the coffin."

The redhead's other half became alarmed.

And then, she smiled with honest kindness.

It had to be the most chilling thing Naruto had ever laid eyes on.

Not in a good way.

"Oh Naruto-chan! Don't you know I'm used to you ignoring me?" Harime laughed.

But the pigtailed cyclops' eye seemed alarmingly sad, even though she smiled gently.

"I've always been locked away from you. Because even now, you don't want to be connected to me. It's why you gave me this body, right?"

_'W-what the...?' _

Something inside Naruto's chest became almost unbearably heavy.

_'What... what is this feeling...?'_

"I could never actually hurt you in a way that you wouldn't be okay, Naruto." The cyclops admitted. "It's in my nature to hurt others. But never you..."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"I was created to protect you. And no matter what I do for Danzo, or the village, that will never change." Harime promised.

_'This feeling... it's...!'_

The redhead's mouth opened.

"Ha-"

The Gallows door clicked shut softly.

_'B-but... why...?'_

Naruto recognized what she was feeling.

Doubt.

* * *

Kakashi deactivated the sound silencing jutsu he had put up around the perimeter of the trees, within the clearing he had lead his other genin, and Tazuna to. The jutsu kept outside sounds away, as well as inside sounds inside.

He felt Naruto approaching. She wasn't trying to mask her presence. Infact... something about her chakra seemed _off_...

_'Like she's in turmoil...'_

Kakashi frowned thoughtfully beneath his plain mask.

He made a decision.

The scarecrow would figure it out later. They were on a mission. A possibly extremely dangerous one. He didn't have time to worry about Naruto just yet.

The scarecrow looked solemnly at his client, weighing the pros and cons of the situation, and if he should allow his genin to continue.

Tazuna had immediately spilled his guts about Gato and the poverty going on in Wave. The whole reason for the bridge was to connect Wave to other nations, and resources to get it back on its feet, as Gato had nearly sucked it dry. But, if the bridge succeeded, Gato would lose his easy money, thus, he sent assassins after the old drunk.

Sasuke and Sakura had wanted to stay and finish the mission.

Sasuke, for either glory, experience, or the desire to out do Naruto. Or even worse, all of the previous. The poor boy felt the need to be more superior than everyone. And if you stopped praising him for a second, he went sour. Kakashi could see why, as being in the shadow of someone like the prodigal Uchiha Itachi would mess up anyone. Not including the fact that Fugaku only acknowledged Itachi as his beloved son before he was killed by "jealous traitors". Though, everyone and their grandma knew Danzo's ROOT drones had been sent to kill Fugaku and the elders before ending their own lives. (Meaning, all the Jounin and up that served in the Third Great Shinobi War knew the elders and Fugaku had been planning a coup d'etat since a little after the Nine Tails attack, and the Fourth let Danzo handle it).

Sakura wanted to stay because she was hoping to impress the Uchiha with her conviction. Which was pointless, because the girl had no bite to back up the little bit of bark she had. Also, the pinkette had fell for Tazuna's guilt card, bringing his grandson and daughter to the table, talking up how devastated they'd be if he died.

Kakashi's ebony eye flattened.

_'I've sure got my work cut out for me.' _The scarecrow thought blandly.

Naruto floated over to her teammates, blue-green eyes expressionless.

But Kakashi wasn't fooled.

He could smell foreign blood on her. And she had a fresh cigarette stuck between her hidden lips, poking from the shadows of her unzipped mask.

The poor girl was so stressed, she didn't bother to hide the fact that she smoked.

_'I need to talk to her as soon as possible...' _Kakashi thought worriedly.

Sakura was demanding where Naruto had gotten a cigarette, and screeching about how gross smoking was. As well as announcing to the heavens that Naruto could never be as cool as "Sasuke-kun", and that she needed to stop trying to steal the Uchiha's spotlight.

"Haruno." Naruto bit out, eyes flashing red momentarily.

Kakashi resisted the urge to flinch.

The other three didn't have good enough self control.

"Be quiet." The redhead finished.

The pinkette quickly overcame her alarm, her notorious temper pushing through.

Sakura turned red in her anger.

"NARUTO! JUST _WHO_ THE HECK DO YOU _THINK_ YOU AR-"

Sakura was cut off as the redhead slung her blood at her. It immediately crystallized over the pinkette's big mouth, silencing her.

Horrified, Sakura tried to pull it off, squealing and grunting in extreme dismay.

It didn't work.

Kakashi sighed tiredly.

"The Demon Brothers they said," Naruto spoke up, puffing on her cigarette. "They work for Zabuza, who was hired by Gato to kill the bridge builder."

_'Shit! Momochi Zabuza? The Demon of the Bloody Mist...?' _Kakashi inwardly winced. _'I know I can take him... but... I also need to keep the genin in mind...'_

"How did you get them to tell you that?" Sasuke demanded, cutting Kakashi's thought process short.

Naruto turned to the envious boy, her blue-green eyes half lidded as she smoked. She took a long relaxing drag, as if she didn't have a worry in the world.

This only angered the Uchiha even more.

"How you ask?" Naruto drawled. "I asked him nicely of course."

Sasuke fumed.

"That's not what I meant dobe and you _know it._" The Uchiha growled.

Kakashi watched his redheaded student gaze lazily at her male teammate.

His eye widened.

_'Her chakra... it's calmed down...!' _The scarecrow thought, surprised. _'Only high ranking shinobi can force themselves to calm in times of stress... why would Naruto know that technique? And why would she know how to properly interrogate someone?'_

Kakashi's ebony eye narrowed.

_'I could be just overthinking it, because she __**is **__Sensei's kid. But... that doesn't explain how she is entirely unshaken about killing enemies... and I __**know **__she killed the Demon Brothers... I smelled their fear. The potent type of fear that only comes when someone __**knows **__they're going to die...'_

Kakashi's eye took on a thoughtful gleam.

_'I can tell killing them is not what had Naruto disturbed. Perhaps something one of them had said is what had shaken her...?"_

He shook his silver head, and looked back at his two bickering, but not really bickering students.

Tazuna had began trying to help Sakura out of her blood mask.

"Alright Uchiha." Naruto muttered, stubbing out her cigarette against her bare arm, causing Kakashi to grimace.

_'Add resistance to pain to the list of suspicious things about Naruto.'_

"You really want to know?" Naruto's eyes crinkled with a bitter smile. "I did my job as a shinobi and got us vital intel. We're up against Zabuza Momochi. An A ranked missing nin of Mist. Knowing this, if we choose to finish this mission Tazuna so _obviously _lied about-" Tazuna winced. "-we can plan accordingly, and avoid unnecessary casualties."

_'No outward reaction to the idea of her teammates dying. Though, she knows I'm an elite, so she trusts me enough, knowing I'll watch her back. But, she doesn't actually __**care**__ about any of us...'_

"You wanna know what was done to get that vital intel?" Naruto continued, indifferent.

There was a short pause.

Naruto's eyes were blank as she answered her own question.

"Torture."

Everyone froze.

"And now they're dead." The redhead stated.

'_She's blunt to people she doesn't care about... almost to the point of cruelty...' _Kakashi realized. _'I need to fix this...'_

"You _killed _them?" Sasuke asked, his voice breaking marginally.

Naruto shrugged.

"Killing. Torture. Lying. Sneaking. Backstabbing. Such are the ways of the shinobi." Naruto's cigarette was reduced to tiny shreds by a concentrated storm of winds in the palm of her hand.

_'Elemental chakra manipulation of high ANBU level.' _Kakashi noted grimly. _'She's been trained to kill effectively. And she __**knows **__it.'_

"I am a shinobi." The redhead said. "Expect these things from me. And be capable of doing them yourself."

For once, Sasuke seemed flabbergasted.

The scarecrow couldn't blame him.

Tazuna had gone pale again.

Naruto made a 'come hither' gesture, and the blood on Sakura's face shattered, liquefying as it traveled back over to Naruto.

Sakura gasped for breath, too struck silly by being gagged, and Naruto's nonchalant manner of admitting she was a killer to say anything.

The redhead pulled a small red and black scroll from her shuriken pouch, and sealed the blood suspended in the air within it, tucking it away again once she was finished.

Naruto looked up at Kakashi.

"I don't mind continuing the mission." She shrugged. "I don't like starting things and leaving them unfinished."

Kakashi noticed his other two genin realizing something _very _important.

They needed to reevaluate their impression of Naruto.

* * *

No one had said anything for three hours.

The silence was broken when Naruto's arm blurred in movement, her thrown shuriken landing in a tree trunk base hidden behind an arrangement of bushes.

_Thunk._

Sakura flinched.

"Naruto what the hell!?" The pinkette hissed. She rushed over to the bushes, and parted them, showing everyone a little white rabbit that had fainted, a shuriken _just _above its head.

"It's an innocent little bunny!" Sakura exclaimed.

Tazuna seemed relieved.

But the rest of team seven noticed the small line of red on the lodged shuriken, and that the rabbit was uninjured.

_'It's no where near winter... so that rabbit should be brown. But... it's not...' _Naruto thought perceptively. _'Which means it was kept inside. And I know for a __**fact **__I sensed human chakra behind that bush... so... the only explanation is that rabbit is kept for the purpose of substitution.'_

The redhead's ears twitched at the sound of something large rotating, and quickly cutting through the air.

"Everybody get _down!_" Kakashi suddenly bellowed.

Everyone hit the deck, Sasuke tackling Tazuna to the forest floor.

_**Thunk.**_

Naruto peered up through her bangs, unsurprised to find Momochi Zabuza standing on his infamous seversword from the Seven Blades of the Bloody Mist.

Kubikiribocho.

"My my," Zabuza drawled, in a deep, rasping voice. "What do we have here?"

Naruto stiffened.

Her eyes became saucers.

_'Oh my...'_

"Copy Ninja Kakashi. The Sharingan user." The swordsman answered himself.

"Sharingan?" Sasuke bit out.

Kakashi smoothly got to his feet.

"Momochi Zabuza." The Copy nin stated. "Can't say I'm happy to see you."

Zabuza chuckled, yanking his cleaver-like sword from the tree, and hopping back so they had about ten feet between them.

"If you're unhappy to see me, then just hand over the old man." The bandaged ninja said. "You see, his head holds quite the pretty penny."

Tazuna squeaked in fear.

The genin got up, watching the two elites stare each other down.

"No can do." Kakashi shrugged, drawing a kunai, flipping it expertly between his fingers. "Tazuna's our client. We took the responsibility of protecting him."

"Well that just makes things more fun, doesn't it?" Zabuza snickered darkly. "I'm going to love cutting you all to pieces."

Sasuke and Sakura paled, looking at Naruto when they heard her sigh, assuming her to be terrified as well.

Horrified, they found that what was visible of Naruto's masked face, was bright fuschia.

"I-I... I think I just fell in love..." Naruto murmured dreamily.

And that's when an unnatural fog began creeping along the clearing they were all in.

The genin, (save for Naruto, who seemed to have become jelly), stiffened.

They knew.

Blood was about to be spilled.

* * *

**(1) I'm just gonna say Naruto's coffin technique (which is her own), is a summoning. (Thanks for the idea DBlade59). No one else does it unless it's Edo Tensei, which is an entirely different thing.**

**\- Harime's coffin doesn't have a pocket dimension like Jorogumo's Coffin and the Toy Box. Because Harime can't die unless Naruto does, not eating and injuries don't affect her.**

**\- Both coffins, The Gallows door, and Naruto's Toy Box have seals on them that allow her to return them to their original place from where she summoned them.**

**\- Having half of Naruto's soul, Harime can summon and do every technique Naruto can.**

**\- For the record, there's no need to be having heart palpitations. I'm not gonna put Naruto with Zabuza.**

**'(-_-)/~ *sweat drops and waves off possible worries***

** Later gators.**

**'Til next time. **


	11. The Bloody Mist

**Anonymoose: Just for that, I'm going to make Naruto fall madly in love with Jirobo. Lmfao. Kidding. Though, Naruto's not incapable of love. She loves Konohamaru, Hiruzen, and Minato. She just happens to be a fucked up person, that's it. Also, nope. The only people who know about Naruto being in ROOT are Danzo, Minato, Hiruzen, and Shisui.**

**Ps. I've got a tiny present for you this chapter. :'D**

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy.**

* * *

Tazuna's back was against a tree. Sakura guarded his front, Sasuke his left, and Naruto his right.

Both of the masked girl's teammates were armed with a single kunai.

_'Like those'll protect you from that big ass sword.' _Naruto thought cynically.

The redhead pulled the axe bass slung over her shoulder, (honestly having forgotten it was there), and channeled chakra into it. Her naturally potent Uzumaki chakra forced it to change form. Danzo's relentless beatings of flawless chakra control changed the shape of the instrument entirely.

The redhead's guitar reformed into a wicked giant half scissor blade. It had silver guitar strings traveling down its length, a crescent-shaped hilt, and a slightly curved, razor point. The entire blade was a glittering black, yet, the underside was shimmering silver.

Wrapping both hands around her new blade, Naruto hardened her resolve, vowing not to get distracted.

Sasuke and Sakura watched Kakashi and Zabuza circle each other carefully, sharp eyes never leaving their opponent.

Naruto ogled Zabuza's scarred chest.

_'Wait.'_

Naruto blinked.

She told herself she wouldn't get distracted!

_'The fuck am I doing!?' _She thought, abhorred.

**'I believe you are acting as a female kit in first heat.' **Kyuubi spoke up suddenly.

The redhead nearly face planted. Which would've been sad, because she wasn't even _moving. _

_'Did you just say I'm getting horny for the first time?' _Naruto asked flatly.

**'I would not use such vulgar words, but yes. Yes I did.'**

_'What the hell? No I'm not!' _The redhead snapped.

Kyuubi snorted.

Naruto balked.

_'Did you... did you just laugh...?'_

**'I did not realize your stupidity could reach this magnitude.' **The fox sniffed haughtily.

_'Don't change the subject!' _Naruto huffed indignantly.

The beast ignored her, snickering to itself within it's cage.

The redhead wondered when they had become so comfortable with one another.

"**Secret Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu**!" Zabuza hissed, flooding the clearing with a thick fog that swallowed his form.

Naruto snapped to attention, focusing once again on the matter at hand.

"I-I can't see...!" Sakura panicked.

"No shit sherlock." Tazuna grumbled under his breath.

Sweat lined Sasuke's dark brows.

"He's a master of silent killing. So keep your eyes peeled." Kakashi ordered.

A sudden image of a bowl full of bloody peeled human eyeballs flashed in Naruto's head.

_'Dude... why a bowl, and not a jar?' _She snickered quietly.

Wait...

What the...

Naruto shook the gruesome image away.

_'Focus Naruto! Jeez...'_

"He'll come after me first, but that doesn't mean you can relax. Not even for a second." The scarecrow finished.

The genin, (Sasuke and Sakura), marveled at how cool Kakashi looked in that moment, though, neither would admit to doing it.

_'Has Kakashi-sensei always been that hot...?'_

Naruto nearly smacked her forehead.

_'What the hell is __**with **__me all of a sudden?'_

**'You are-'**

_'I'm not in fucking heat you damn fox!'_

"The spine... clavicle, lungs, stomach, liver, heart... and brain..." Zabuza's voice echoed eerily across the clearing. "So many choices. Heh. Wonder which ones I should choose...?"

A massive killing intent wove itself through the mist, spreading like a heinous disease, looming over everything with the imminent threat of death.

It only made the redhead become more on guard.

_'My senses are dulled... I can't see... smell... and I can barely hear nature itself... he's good...'_

Naruto noted Sasuke began quivering slightly, eyeing his kunai as if he'd slit his own throat with it. Sakura looked one short breath from wetting herself and passing out, her knees knocking together in her fear.

"Hey." Kakashi called, glancing back at his students over his shoulder.

He eye smiled.

"Don't worry. I never let my comrades die."

"You shouldn't lie to the poor brats like that, Copycat!"

Zabuza shot out of the mist from behind the scarecrow, sword positioned to halve the man with one swing.

Kakashi whipped around, deflecting the gigantic cleaver blade with his kunai and brute strength alone.

The two men struggled to overpower each other.

"Heh." Zabuza's bandages twisted around his mouth as he grinned savagely.

Kakashi's ebony eye widened.

"No-"

A Zabuza clone lept over the two men, straight for the genin.

Two more came shooting from the mist, approaching either side of Tazuna.

Sasuke jabbed at his clone with his kunai, but the clone merely grabbed his wrist, and tossed the Uchiha over it's shoulder.

The Uchiha soared, and was swallowed by the mist, grunting in pain as he landed harshly a ways off.

"Sas-"

The clone that jumped over Kakashi and Zabuza landed before the pinkette, cutting off her startled cry.

He cocked his sword back like a bat, black eyes bright with cruelty.

Sakura went sheet white, staring up at him, frozen in pure terror.

"You are absolutely pitiful." The clone sneered.

Tears pooled into her mint eyes.

He swung his cleaver.

_Clang!_

Naruto's scissor blade clashed with the third clone's.

"You're good kid." The clone smirked.

Naruto flushed.

Wait...

No.

_'Pull it together Uzumaki. What would Shisui say if he saw you? You're a ROOT shinobi. Hormones are bloody redundant!'_

The redhead returned the hidden smirk.

"Thanks."

She used all of her strength to force her locked sword past the clone's guard, and forced the tip of her blade into it's unsuspecting chin.

She flickered out of existence before it could even collapse into water.

Naruto reappeared again behind the first clone, swinging her sword fluidly, chopping off everything from the shoulders up.

The clones eyes bulged mid-swing.

Thrown off balance, his blade titled so the flat of his sword slammed into Sakura's head, instead of severing it.

The pinkette screamed as she was sent flying to the right from the sure force of the blow.

Sakura skipped like a stone across the grass, her head smacking into the ground, instantly knocking her out as she rolled to a stop.

Two puddles wet the grass at nearly the same time.

Naruto had killed them both in under ten seconds.

_'Wait... the last clone...!'_

Naruto froze.

The redhead looked down.

She stared at the huge blade protruding from the center of her abdomen.

"U-ugh...!" Naruto grunted.

Scarlet spilled from her lips.

"Naruto!" Kakashi exclaimed, kicking away the original Zabuza.

But, the Mist nin wouldn't have any of it.

"Worry about your own skin, Copycat!"

The scarecrow ducked under the blur that had attempted to behead him.

_'I thought he was a master of silent killing? That's an awful lot of shit talking for a man who should be quiet...'_

"Damnit!" Kakashi cursed, ripping up his hitai-ate, and engaging Zabuza in a brutal taijutsu duel.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Zabuza cackled, dodging the scarecrow's furious assault. "I get to see the sharingan so early in the fight? Why Kakashi, I'm honored!"

Naruto duly watched her blood drip off the tip of the clone's Kubikiribocho.

"What's the matter kid?" The clone behind her taunted. "Have you never been stabbed before? You so shocked you can't even give me a scream? Does it hurt?"

_Plop. Plop. Plop._

Her blood speckled the earth.

The redhead smiled.

"**Blood Release: Bloody Needles**..." She rasped.

The red droplets on the ground, and the face of the sword rose up, forming tiny little needles in the air.

"What the-"

They shot at the clone behind her.

Her back was drenched in water a moment later, her blood having shot through the clone's head.

"You saved me the trouble of cutting myself to acess blood." Naruto said cooly. "Thanks dude."

The redhead pressed a hand over her bleeding middle, honestly not even really feeling it. It was such a simple injury, almost like being pinched to her. Actually...Not even really that much. Like pricking your finger slightly on a piece of paper.

Sasuke stumbled from within the mist, finally finding his way back to his teammates.

He gaped at the blood spurting between Naruto's fingers as she held her middle closed.

She waved off his horror.

"It's nothing Uchiha." Naruto assured. "I took care of the clones. They're made of water."

"It doesn't _look _like nothing." Sasuke swallowed.

_'Oh yeah, didn't the old cripple say Sasuke was the one to find his dad's corpse? Poor bastard probably hasn't seen so much blood since then. Must be traumatic.'_

Naruto shrugged.

"Where's Sakura?" Sasuke asked, skin looking nearly transparent.

The redhead hitched a thumb over her shoulder.

The Uchiha squinted, just making out Sakura's crumpled form quite a few feet away.

"Don't be a dumbass." Naruto muttered, freezing the Uchiha who made to run off.

"I got her. Just get back in position in case no-brow sexy pants over there decides to make more water clones."

The Uchiha scowled for more than one reason, but knew the sense in the redhead's words, and stormed back over to the bridge builder's left.

Sasuke's face suddenly flashed with skepticism for a brief moment.

"Wait... did you just say Zabuza is se-"

The redhead quickly rounded the queasy looking Tazuna to avoid being questioned.

Naruto unsealed a scroll from her upper arm, a storage seal hidden among the the sharp, bold, and swirling symbols there.

Naruto opened the scroll, two large squirts of red flew out with a poof of smoke, taking on humanoid forms as they splattered across the grass.

Blood clones heaved themselves from the puddle, Naruto's colors and features appearing across their shimmering surfaces.

Sasuke gawked.

"You called boss?" One of the clones drawled, climbing to her feet.

"Get Haruno." The original ordered.

The first clone grumbled to herself, shuffling over to the unconscious pinkette.

The other clone wordlessly rounded the tree. Her back was to Tazuna's, who was wide eyed.

"I-is that... a-are they..."

"Made of blood?" Naruto finished. She nodded once. "Yeah old man, they're blood."

"Oh." Tazuna's voice was faint.

_'He's probably in shock.'_

"That's gross." He finished.

Naruto shrugged, and commanded her blood to stitch her leaking wound closed until Kyuubi could heal her.

She couldn't afford to accelerate his chakra flow to fix herself. She didn't want to deal with the questions that would follow such an action.

Sighing softly, Naruto cleared her thoughts, frowning slightly in concentration.

The redhead flipped her scissor blade around, getting a feel for it once more, placing both hands around the crescent hilt.

Tuning in her ears, Naruto heard the clashing of weapons, grunts of pain, and fists meeting various body parts.

Her blood clone shambled back over to her, Sakura slung like a sack of potatoes over her shoulder. Naruto didn't complain when the clone rudely shoved her hand in her shuriken pouch, retrieving her smelling salts. The clone dropped the pinkette unceremoniously onto the forest floor, sank into a crouch, and lazily waved the salts under the pinkette's nose.

Sakura's face scrunched up, but she didn't wake up.

Irritated, the clone smacked the hell out of her, jolting her awake.

Sasuke and Tazuna flinched at the sharp sound.

"Ow!" Sakura yelped, rubbing her stinging red cheek indignantly. "Naruto what the hell!?"

"Che." The clone rolled her eyes, getting up, and joining her clone sister to guard Tazuna's back.

Sakura stumbled to her feet with the help of the tree behind them, rubbing the back of her head and grimacing deeply.

"I feel like an elephant sat on my head..." The pinkette mumbled bleakly.

"More like you got bitchslapped by a giant sword." Naruto muttered.

Sakura flushed.

The red in Sakura's cheeks made Naruto think of blood covered walls, and her hands dripping with the metallic fluids.

The redhead frowned.

_'Why am I so unfocused today...? I feel as if something's wrong...'_

**'Never mind that, fool.' **The fox said, surprisingly serious. **'Survive this, and you may explore that matter.'**

_'As much as I don't want to admit it, you're right... I need to calm down, and focus.' _

**'Of course I'm right. I'm always right.' **Kyuubi stated.

Naruto ignored the fox.

The redhead pursed her lips. _'Remember your training Naruto...'_

The cynical part of Naruto reminded her she _couldn't _rememberher training, and that she had always reacted automatically in combat.

The redhead shook her head again.

Naruto's eyes narrowed, trying to glimpse through the mist, but it was too thick.

Annoyed that she couldn't see anything, and knowing Kakashi was on to her being _way _above genin level, she forced wind chakra from her tenketsu, the artificial gust blowing away the white gloom blanketing the atmosphere.

Sasuke stiffened, just catching enough of the taijutsu battle to see Zabuza attempt to split Kakashi in two from the skull down.

The scarecrow danced back, the tip of Kubikiribocho nicking his chest, drawing a thin line of red.

"**Water Style: Water Volley Jutsu**!" The Mist shinobi pulled his bandages from his lips, his cheeks filling with liquid.

The scarecrow lept to the right, successfully rolling to his feet, and completing a series of fluid back handsprings as Zabuza spat a volley of destructive water balls at him.

They pelted the ground, creating craters two feet deep within the earth.

Kakashi found his feet again, atop a lake about thirty feet from the genin's position.

"Heh." Zabuza chuckled. "You're a fool Kakashi. You should watch where you're going."

Hands shot up from the lake, clamping around the Copy nin's ankles.

Kakashi's eyes bulged.

Zabuza disappeared with water shunshin, materializing once again beside the silver haired male.

He made a hand sign.

"**Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu**!"

"Tch!" Naruto gritted, watching her Sensei become engulfed by an orb of water, Zabuza's hand holding it in place.

"That _can't _be good..." Tazuna mumbled weakly.

"Oh no..." Sakura whispered helplessly.

Sasuke glared.

Zabuza pulled the bandages back over his mouth, but you could still tell he was grinning something wicked.

The water clone that had grabbed Kakashi pulled itself to the surface, stepping towards the genin. Five more dragged themselves onto the bank of the lake from the still waters, eyes twinkling with malicious intent.

Sasuke clenched his kunai tighter, sliding into his Uchiha taijutsu form. Sakura did the same, though, a simple academy form.

"Get out of here!" Kakashi shouted. "It's over! I got caught, but the clones can't go far from his original body! So take Tazuna and run!"

"You underestimate us, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto drawled.

The scarecrow recoiled slightly in shock.

"Y-yeah!" Sakura agreed. "Sensei, you said those who fail the mission are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."

"I'm not scum." Sasuke scowled.

"That settles it then." Naruto declared. "We fight, right Tazuna?"

The redhead threw a look over her shoulder.

The bridge builder nodded and shrugged.

"I'd feel bad if your sensei died because of me. You kids are strong. I was wrong to think anything less."

Naruto nodded in thanks.

_'I've never failed a mission. And I don't plan to start.'_

"Stick to Kakashi's formation guys. Its solid. And I've got blood clones at our backs." The redhead said.

"Who made you leader?" Sakura nearly sneered.

"Yeah, dobe." Sasuke grunted.

She looked over at her teammates, causing them to flinch at the devilish appearance her eyes had taken on.

"I did."

Naruto made a handsign, summoning a large scroll from the center of her back. She stabbed her scissor blade into the earth at her right, and pulled the scroll from her skin through her jumpsuit, earning a few disgusted looks.

Not that she cared.

Honestly, it was kind of funny.

"Might wanna close your mouth." The redhead suggested facetiously, chuckling at Zabuza.

"And why would I do that, little girl?" The Mist shinobi scoffed.

" 'Cause things are about to get messy."

She forcefully threw the scroll at the original Zabuza, though, it soared over his head, and froze several feet in the air.

"**Blood Release: Deluge of Blood**!"

The large scroll uncoiled with a poof, a mass of bloody droplets pouring out of it, and raining down heavily into the lake below, dying crystal waters with deep red.

The scroll was obliterated by an invisible force once it's purpose was fulfilled.

"That is just... Kami... why did I hire such lunatics?" Tazuna grumbled.

"What the hell...?" Zabuza hissed, trying to blink away the blood suddenly filling up, and burning his eyes. But it was pointless, as it was drenching him to the bone.

"Cover me Haruno, Uchiha." Naruto muttered.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, obviously irritated being ordered around.

"Don't think you're so cool, Naruto." Sakura huffed. "Sasuke-kun was rookie of the year!"

Naruto's red and black eyes crinkled as she smiled cruelly beneath her mask.

"And I'm a murderer."

Sakura lost a bit of color, but held her kunai with a strong resolve.

_'Pinky has potential... Ugh. I just wish she wasn't so fucking annoying.'_

"What are you doing?" Zabuza barked at his six clones. "Kill the brats. I'm tired of watching these ignorant little fools play shinobi!"

"Oh you have no idea what this 'brat' is capable of." Naruto retorted darkly, her fingers elegantly weaving through handseals.

The bloody lake began vibrating, Naruto's blood cells devouring the water atoms, taking over.

Kakashi looked down at the lake, astonished.

Zabuza was just extremely peeved.

He couldn't summon water clones because the lake wasn't water anymore, but if he released the Copy nin, he'd be killed.

_'Heh. Sorry sexy. You'll be dead no matter what you do. But... It really is a shame though...'_

The water clones darted at the genin all at once, two of them breaking off to go right and left, rounding the tree to attack Tazuna's back.

They were quickly dispatched by Naruto's hidden blood clones.

One of Naruto's blood clones came back around to complete the triangular formation team seven formed as the original hung back, crafting her technique skillfully.

The four remaining water clones unsurprisingly, went for Sakura.

Naruto's blood clone snatched up the scissor blade behind her, still stabbed into the earth at her original's side.

Sakura clumsily ducked under the flash of Kubikiribocho, Sasuke stabbing the attacking clone in the kidney. As it dispelled, giving cover in the form of a splash, the pinkette launched her kunai into the middle of the one behind it's throat.

Four down.

Two to go.

Naruto's clone shunshined behind one of the remaining clone's, bisecting it's upper half from it's legs with a lethargic stroke of her blade.

Sakura pulled out a shuriken, and threw it at the last clone. The water clone simply tilted it's head, dodging.

The pinkette smirked.

Sasuke appeared behind it with impressive speed, quickly slitting it's throat.

The last of the water splashed onto the grass.

"I'm still working on this, but I'm pretty close..." The redhead murmured. "You'll be the first to see, and die by it, Mr. No-brow Sexy Pants."

Naruto completed her handseals.

"**Blood Release: Corpse Titan**."

The redhead slowly separated her clasped hands, raising her right hand slowly, fingers curled in a claw-like formation.

The earth rumbled furiously.

Naruto's two blood clones flashed to Tazuna's side, keeping him upright.

"Thank you." The old drunk muttered gruffly.

Sasuke and Sakura were knocked to the ground, holding on to the tree behind Tazuna for leverage.

Naruto attached her feet to the forest floor with chakra.

"Wh-what the hell is this!?" Zabuza exclaimed, trying to stay atop the blood as it thrashed with the force of Naruto's power.

"Oh my Kami!" Sakura screeched.

Sasuke sucked in a sharp breath.

Naruto smirked.

Gradually, a behemoth hand rose out of the blood, made of the metallic fluid itself.

It seized Zabuza's body from behind.

Naruto clenched her fist.

The blood hand tightened around the Mist nin, slowly crushing him. Zabuza yelled in pain, a symphony of snapping bones filling the air.

Naruto, not used to commanding such a large amount of blood, was literally the color of paper. Black smudges of death were stained beneath her devil's eyes, and she was feeling the fresh wound at her middle more than she thought was possible.

_'Damnit! I'm tired...? I need more training...'_

An entire arm of blood rose from the red lake, followed by a shoulder.

Naruto's vision blurred.

Sakura and Tazuna vomited as the strong scent of copper weighed the air down.

Sasuke seemed to want to join them.

Zabuza was forced to release Kakashi from his jutsu, as the hand encasing him held him as high as a two story building. The scarecrow took a moment to fix his hitai-ate as the Mist nin's jutsu imploded.

With a grunt, Kakashi fell roughly to his feet, and scrambled off of the lake, running over to his genin, ebony eye beyond bugged out.

Another hand crept onto the surface of the blood, clawing it's way up, and pulling along a humanoid torso that looked distinctly female.

It was incomplete. Naruto's titan had no substance but blood.

Though, the redhead planned to change that. And soon.

She just needed the bones of a certain redheaded Habanero.

As soon as Naruto gestured for her titan to pull Zabuza in two, a senbon zipped out of the trees with frightening precision.

It lodged itself deeply into the wailing Mist nin's throat, slumping him instantly, killing him.

Naruto's blood clones flew at their original, summoning another large scroll, this one empty, from the original's back.

Naruto's titan collapsed thunderously as she canceled the technique.

Zabuza crashed into the bloody lake, disappearing beneath the thick surface.

The clones approached the lake carefully, just in case the Mist nin was somehow still alive, and lingered for a moment.

Nothing happened.

Assured, they sealed the _entire_ blood lake into the scroll, the red mass spiraled up, roaring like a livid tornado, before it was sucked into the scroll, and sealed cleanly away.

A Hunter nin wearing a Mist issued mask appeared across the clearing, armed with large senbon.

"Thank you all." The Hunter called softly, in a lilting voice. "I've been tracking this one for quite some time." He gestured to the dead Zabuza lying at the bottom of the bloody pit that used to be a lake.

"Now if you'll excuse me," The Hunter flashed to Zabuza's side, picking him up and slinging him over his shoulder. "I must dispose of the body."

Frowning, Kakashi took a step forward. "Now hold on just a sec-"

The Hunter nin shunshined.

"Damn...!" The scarecrow muttered.

Naruto fell to one knee.

"Naruto...?" Sakura questioned uncertainly.

"Dobe?" Sasuke grunted.

"Are you alright, Naruto-chan?" Kakashi called, squatting at her side, ebony eye concerned.

Tazuna looked incredibly confused, and pale.

Panting, the redhead scowled, ignoring her teammates and Sensei.

Her blood clones returned to her side, sealing the scroll containing the blood lake into her back.

"Boss, you don't look so good..." One of them murmured.

"Probably just anemia." The other offered.

_'Apparently, I'm still weak... Looks like I'll have to pay Danzo a visit after this mission...' _Naruto thought. _'I'll never use the word hate lightly, but that decrepit cripple isn't good for anything but power.'_

She smirked.

_'Stupid old cripple. I will __**not**__ be manipulated again...'_

Kakashi caught her as she dropped in a dead faint.

* * *

**-I am **_**so**_** sorry my fight scenes are so atrocious. T^T**

**\- The scissor blade is inspired by Ryuko from Kill la Kill's Rending Scissors. I don't own any of these. (You should look 'em up because I was terrible at describing them).**

**-Bloody Needles is totally Crona Gorgon's attack (to which and whom I do NOT own).**

**'Til next time. **


	12. The Brain Game

**Wowz! I'm surprised so many like the Corpse Titan. I'll be sure to bring it out again soon. Pinky promise. **

**Anonymoose: It wasn't exactly an "asskicking" but, I was snickering to myself the entire time while writing it. I'm glad you liked it.**

**Midcore: Not very talkative are you? Lol, I'm teasing. Thanks for the feedback. xD**

**WARNINGS: Descriptive language, psychological torture, blood, depressing thoughts, gore, child violence, foul language, and bad attempts at horror.**

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy...?**

* * *

Naruto opened her eyes groggily.

"Ugh..."

Vision fuzzy, she rubbed her eyes, wanting to freeze at the tiny unfamiliar hand that carried out the action instead of her own. Only, her body didn't seem to want to listen. It was on autopilot.

Naruto flinched violently, finding herself lying on a stone cold floor. She looked around carefully, trying to ignore the peculiar amount of panic welling up in her stomach's pit. She couldn't calm her heartbeat, or her harsh breaths.

Her eyes were wide, darting around the pitch black surrounding her, not a sound or shape distinguishable within the darkness.

She couldn't even see her hand when she held it in front of her face.

_'What's wrong with me? Why can't I calm down? What is this... this __**fear**__!?'_

It was like her body was not her own, and her mind was trapped within it.

"I see you are awake, Uzumaki."

Naruto's body froze at that low gravelly voice.

_'Danzo...!' _The redhead inwardly gritted.

"You!" Her mouth blurted on it's own, startling Naruto at how childish her voice sounded. "It's you, isn't it? The bandaged old man from the alley! Where the heck are we? What did you do to me!?"

"Cease speaking, child." Danzo ordered.

A single light flickered to life above Naruto, its reach only forming a small circle around the redhead's body.

Naruto's eyes squinted, trying to determine where the old cripple could possibly be hiding.

Though, it was for naught.

His voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"Don't tell me what to do old man!" Naruto spat. "You said you'd give me power! So why the heck did you knock me out as soon as I grabbed your hand!?"

_'Fuck. FUCK!' _Naruto cussed._ 'I just realized why I'm so small... and why I can't control what I do... I'm in a memory...!'_

"Of course I'm going to give you power, foolish child." Danzo's disembodied voice said. "But not for the naive reasons you wanted. No. This is for the village's benefit. You will become my weapon, and I will wield you to smite all of Konoha's enemies."

Naruto's eyes stung with helpless angry tears.

_'I cried... but... I don't remember ever... wait... wait a damn minute...!'_

"I _knew _you were a liar..." She hissed.

Danzo chuckled cruelly.

"Then why ever did you agree to my proposition?"

_'This is one of the memories from Danzo's training. The __**first **__memory..!'_

"I... I was just hoping..." Naruto murmured truthfully. "Hoping that you could help me... but it was never about me... was it?"

"Of course not." Danzo nearly scoffed. "You do not matter. You are my weapon, one that I will hone into an indestructible and sharp blade."

"Thats not true...!" Naruto shot back. "I do too matter! I'm somebody. Right...?" She finished quietly, slightly uncertain.

_'Was I really so insecure...?'_

"My dear girl," Danzo droned. "Of course you don't. The truth of the matter is, Minato will _never _love you. You are just a constant reminder of Kushina, and all he lost on the cursed day of your birth. He hates you."

"That's... that's not true!" Naruto yelled defiantly. "Dad is just confused right now... He'll love me! You'll see!"

"All I see is a weak little girl." Danzo stated coldly. "But that will change. Starting now."

Naruto's young face twisted into a scowl, her eyes stinging persistently. But even all those years ago, she was too stubborn to shed tears.

"Shinobi do not cry." Danzo stated. "That is for spineless children. You are a weapon, and will behave as such. So stop your sniveling and stand, Uzumaki."

"Dang it..." The redhead gritted. "_Dang it...!"_

Naruto shoved herself to her feet, if only to contradict Danzo's declaration of her being weak.

"You awakened your Bloodlimit. And that has made you arrogant," Danzo began. "I will beat that out of you. Arrogance is unbecoming, so I will teach you fear. And then you will overcome that fear, or you will die, and I shall find a new weapon."

Naruto felt a rampant fear swell inside her at the word "die". But the part of her outside the memory recognized Danzo didn't _want _another weapon. He wanted, and needed Naruto. He had just used that to force Naruto's old self onto the path he desired.

_'Was I really that weak? I allowed him to so easily manipulate me... damn. Damn it all...'_

Naruto felt a wave of chakra, recognizing it to be a powerful genjutsu.

Though, her younger self had no idea what it had been, and her breath hitched when a line of torches lit in a straight line down a thin corridor.

Naruto stared down the long hallway in bewilderment.

"Find your way through the maze, and escape your pursuers, or perish." Danzo commanded, voice fading away to nothing.

"Wh-what?" Naruto stuttered. "What pursuers? Where am I? Let me out!"

Nothing.

"Hello...?" She called experimentally.

Danzo's voice did not return.

She was alone.

Seconds turned to minutes.

Panic began to eat away at Naruto.

Her knees began trembling, and her hands started shaking uncontrollably. So, she began ringing them roughly to distract herself.

**"Naruto..."**

The redhead flinched at the croaking raspy voice echoing behind her.

Slowly, she turned around.

Her teary eyes bulged.

"M-Mina-chan...?" She whispered carefully.

_'Kami what was I thinking? It's obviously a trick!'_

Mina-chan was a ragdoll made out of a recycled beige knitted scarf, with baby blue button eyes, a lopsided stitched grin of black thread, and bright yellow yarn sticking out in short uneven tufts for hair atop his big, droopy, circular head.

Naruto had made Mina-chan when she was like, six. She had been feeling awfully lonely, and sad that her Dad was busy with work, and the girls at the Academy didn't want to play with her. Naruto still had the doll, and kept it hidden under her bed back home.

_'Danzo must have had a ROOT Yamanaka invade my head to find out about that doll... and then he created a genjutsu to use it to psychologically torture me... that filthy sonofabitch...'_

**"Naruto you never play with Mina-chan anymore..." **The doll croaked, stitched smile never changing. **"Mina-chan is sad... play with Mina-chan again..."**

"Wh-what the heck?" Naruto muttered. "You're just a doll Mina-chan. What's going on? You can't talk... you shouldn't even _be _here... That bandaged dude is doing something, isn't he?"

Naruto looked around in wobbly anger.

The only light came from the one above her, and the torches illuminating the corridor behind her.

"Come out you old mummy! I know this isn't real! What the heck are you trying to pull?" She demanded, gathering her wits.

She received no answer, though, that only served to infuriate her.

Naruto looked back to where her doll had been standing, alarmed to find him not there.

In his stead, was a slip of yellowing paper.

Knowing it wouldn't be there if it was irrelevant, she shuffled over, and snatched it up.

"You can't scare me you freaky mummy..." Naruto muttered angrily. "I'll play this stupid game... and prove you wrong. Daddy will love me. I'll make him proud, and become Hokage one day, DATTEBAYO!"

_'Huh. I wonder whatever happened to that silly dream?'_

Naruto's younger self read the old page, which was titled in unsteady chicken scratch, 'Hide and Corpse Seek'.

_'That's not clever at all Danzo.' _The present redhead thought spitefully.

"'Rule number one'..." Naruto murmured. "'Never look behind you'."

Her nose crinkled skeptically.

"Why the heck would it matter if I did that?"

Shaking her head, she continued reading.

"'Rule number two, don't question the rules'."

Naruto scoffed, rolled her eyes, and looked back down.

"'Number three, find a place to hide'." The redhead shrugged. "Seems simple enough... 'kay Rule four is, 'Don't make a sound'..."

Naruto's blood stopped in her veins at the last rule.

Rule number five: _**Don't die.**_

Thoroughly spooked, Naruto dropped the paper, whirling around, and shooting off down the torch lit hall full speed ahead.

Her heart beat thundered and stuttered harder and faster, as every torch she passed, was a torch blown out.

The shadows chased her.

Her stomach twisted with potent anxiety.

What would happen to her was uncertain, and that was truly petrifying.

The corridor seemed to never end.

She quickly grew tired, and slowed.

That's when she heard it.

Rasping breaths.

Like an old man with rattling lungs, and a lost soul moaning for an unseen salvation.

She was afraid.

She tried to move faster.

She was too tired.

She turned.

It was just for a second.

Just an innocent glance.

Naruto screamed.

The entire corridor was stuffed with life sized ragdolls, all made of knitted beige material, limbs flailing lazily, reaching out to grab her.

Their presences were positively sinister.

Some of them were missing button eyes, holes in their plain faces hanging with destroyed human tendons and bare muscles. Others had torn open heads, instead of stuffing, rotting gray brain matter fell to the floor. Gnats flew around them, burrowing, and steadily feasting on their reeking flesh. A few had split abdomens, guts spilling out, dragging behind them sloppily, and dirtying the stone floors with rotten blood.

Naruto gagged at the odious stench of decay weaving itself into her nostrils, clogging its way down her throat and tantalizing her gag reflex to rebel violently against her.

"What the heck...?" Naruto breathed weakly, appalled. "Wh-what _is _this!?"

Her chest heaved with the force of her tired breaths, and she turned fully to face the dolls.

_'Why didn't I run?'_

One of the ragdolls wiggled itself free from the traffic.

_'Oh. I see now. Paralyzed with fear...'_

It flopped wetly face down to the floor, missing both its arms and legs, bleeding all over the place. The doll began squirming slowly over to the frozen redhead, its blank face only distinguishable by a drooping stitched mouth.

It looked utterly miserable.

"Why... why are dolls bleeding?" Naruto croaked, knees rubbery at the monstrous amount of blood and innards visible.

She had never seen such carnage, and it was unimaginably frightening.

Naruto wanted to vomit, but she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.

There was nothing to throw up.

"I w-want to go home..." Naruto murmured, knowing that Danzo couldn't care less about her desires. "I should've never agreed with that slimy mummy..."

Something beneath the doll's mouth rippled.

"Just remember it's not real Naruto." She muttered to herself. "It's not real it's not real it's not real it's not real it's not _real._.." She chanted.

_'If I knew that, why the hell didn't I- oh yeah... By then... We hadn't learned how to dispel genjutsu in the Academy yet...'_

The limbless doll spasmed, its mouth jerking out as if something inside was trying to bust free.

Naruto, frozen with a mixture of morbid curiosity and anxiety, watched.

Something dark bloomed across the doll's mouth, viscous blackened red sludge oozing between the holes of its knitted design.

The thick fluids spilled onto the floor, full of gelatinous chunks.

Naruto's upper lip curled in disgust.

"What the-"

Finally, the doll's mouth ripped open, a mass of wriggling white maggots pouring out, and speckling the floor, bumbling about in the nastiness there.

The doll slithered closer through the fly larvae. So close, the redhead could touch it.

Naruto stumbled back.

"Kami that's _sick..._" She mumbled.

At the sound of her voice, the ragdoll cocked its head to the side.

Naruto realized her mistake.

It lunged.

With a terrified scream, Naruto dived, sliding harshly on her front. As a reslut, the ragdoll soared over her head, landing with a sickening _squelch _behind her.

The redhead rolled to the side and sat up, finding her feet with the help of the wall she leaned against.

Naruto ignored the maggots on the floor, and the horde of dolls before her. Pressing her back against the torched wall, she slid past the limbless doll that blindly began searching for her.

She realized it had heard her tired panting, and _that's_ what lead it to her. But her voice had told it _exactly _where she was. The others were stuck, and couldn't reach her. The free doll was an entirely different matter. Naruto forced herself to calm her erratic breathing.

She quietly shuffled past the maggot mouthed doll, and took off once again down the hall, ignoring the ragged wheezes of the dolls following _too _closely behind her.

It would seem they only moved when she did.

Creepy.

Finally, _finally _she spotted a new route, and sharply curved left as she reached the end of the hallway, coming to a dead end.

"Oh crap... _crap!_ There's nowhere to go!"

Panicked, Naruto turned around, coming face to face with the horde of decaying dolls.

Her breath stuttered in her chest desperately.

Her pupils dilated.

They were so close, she could smell the pungent scent of their rotten breath. So close, that their joint rattling wheezes were almost deafening.

**"Why didn't you follow the rules Naruto-chan...?"**

That voice allowed air to once again enter the redhead's lungs.

She gasped for breath like a dying man.

"Mina-chan...?" Naruto croaked.

Her little ragdoll squeezed from in between the wriggling toys, blue button eyes somehow managing to seem disappointed.

**"You should have followed the rules..."**

"Wh-what...?" Naruto glanced at her toy, and then up at the grisly mass _way _too close for comfort.

She shuffled backwards, back pressed against the ice cold stone.

**"If you don't follow the rules, you'll fail... and if you fail, you're useless. You'll be nothing. And you'll have to be thrown away."**

Naruto, shaking so intensely in immeasurable anxiety, lost the strength in her legs, and half fell, half slid to the floor. Blue-green eyes wide, and her pupils nearly swallowing her irises.

Naruto had never wished harder to see her father.

"Wh-what do you m-mean fail? What rules? Wh-where is Danzo? Why is he d-doing this t-to me...?" Naruto stuttered.

**"1. Never look behind you. 2. Don't question the rules. 3. Find a place to hide. 4. Don't make a sound. 5. Don't die."**

Naruto's breath hitched.

She remembered the list.

"Y-you mean..."

**"Shinobi obey their superiors. You **_**will **_**obey. Or you will be punished."**

"Mina-chan...?" Naruto called uncertainly.

**"You will learn to obey. You will concede. And you will not question orders."**

Wide eyed, Naruto watched her doll walk back to the mass of knitted carnage before her, becoming engulfed, and pulled out of sight.

The redhead didn't have the courage to call out, or reach for her childhood comfort.

_'There's that feeling again... so utterly empty... an abyss that eats me from the inside out...'_

She was alone.

_'Loneliness, a never ending wound that grows larger and larger with every breath I take...'_

Naruto slapped her hands over her mouth, feeling wholly helpless, and alone.

_'I never wanted to remember this miserable feeling...'_

The redhead flinched when the dolls convulsed violently.

There was no where to run.

She wondered what would happen to her. And hoped fear would stop her heart forever to avoid it.

_'It would be better if I never knew the truth... Maybe then I wouldn't be suffering this all over again...'_

A doll fell from the mass, flopping before the trembling redhead, its mouth ripped away, leaving nothing but a dangling tongue and mutilated gaping hole where its jawbone should've been.

Defenseless, Naruto watched as it dragged itself over to her, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

"No... stop..." She said feebly. "Get away... from me... d-don't c-come any cl-closer..."

She squeaked when the doll stopped, unnaturally warm as it pressed against her.

Naruto clenched her hands in either side of her hair, curling up into a tiny ball to become the smallest target possible.

"D-Daddy..." She whimpered. "I'm scared... I'm scared... I want to go _home...!"_

The doll keened, and Naruto trembled.

"Daddy... please help me..."

Her Daddy didn't come.

She had known logically that he didn't even know where she was. But still, it utterly crushed her. Devastation made tears spill from Naruto's once stubborn eyes.

Blood dribbled on to the back of her neck.

The doll's breath ghosted across the back of her head, and Naruto choked on a sob.

"I don't want to play anymore..."

**"Obey..."** The doll gurgled, tongue flapping, dripping saliva and blood.** "You will obey..."**

Naruto trembled harder.

**"Concede."** The others spoke as one, voices soulless and cold.

**"Do not question orders."**

**"Obey. You will obey."**

**"Concede. You will concede."**

**"Do not question. Question nothing."**

**"Obey-"**

"Okay!" Naruto screamed, teary eyes squeezed shut. "Okay I get it! Just _please...! Don't talk... _SHUT UP!"

"What did I tell you?"

Naruto's trembling stopped.

The wheezing disappeared.

The stomach rolling stench dissipated.

She couldn't feel breath on her nape, or blood dripping on to her skin.

In fact, nothing was there.

And there never had been.

"Danzo...!" She hiccuped.

_Wack!_

The cripple's walking stick slammed with a bludgeoning force atop her skull.

Naruto's head felt as if it split, and she howled in pain as the stick forced her face to smack into the stone floors. Her nose crunched, gushing geysers of blood.

The redhead held on to the top of her head, wincing immediately as her fingers touched the fresh wound there. Her face was smooshed into the floor as the blunt end of Danzo's cane forced her to submit. Her wound wept streams of crimson, the wood of Danzo's stick grinding into it, making it sting all the more. Whimpering, Naruto felt blood leaking down from the top of her skull from all sides, some trickling into her eyes.

"That is Danzo-_sama _to you, Uzumaki." The cripple corrected menacingly, staring down with his lone dead black eye, the magnitude of his cruelty slicing through Naruto's skin.

Naruto went utterly cold.

She couldn't see him.

But she could feel it.

That glacial remorseless black void of an eye.

"I said..." Danzo lifted his stick, and forced it back into her wound.

Naruto grunted.

"_What _did I tell you?"

'_What an egotistical sonofabitch...'_

Something inside of Naruto snapped.

"I knew it..." The blood spilling from Naruto's skull hardened. "You were screwing with me this whole time... how the hell did you know about Mina-chan?" Naruto snarled, spitting coppery liquid from her bruised nose out of her mouth.

Something destructive slaughtered her fear.

"You think you can just get away with making me cry you wrinkled fucking douchebag pedophile!?" Naruto roared.

_'So __**that's **__when I started cussing...'_

"I'm not gonna let you get away with this!"

Her blood shot up and out, curving like scythe blades, intent to rip the elder to ribbons.

Danzo simply leapt back.

"I'm gonna _**KILL **_**YOU**!"

Naruto got up, and whirled around, gathering the blood on her fingers and curving from her head, flinging it at the cripple.

Danzo moved like the wind, untouchable and silent, unpredictable, yet purposeful.

Red blotches splattered across the stone wall behind him as he dodged.

The redhead cried out in helpless rage.

"Die! Fucking die! I'll show you I'm nothing once I make you a stain on the floor!"

Naruto's blood ate through the wall from several places, having missed Danzo.

"Che!" Naruto spat, even as her shoulders drooped, as if saddled with a sudden heavy burden.

She panted, pale as death, hair matted with blood, and eyes shadowed with fatigue.

"That blood lust is admirable." Danzo offered. "Though, you are much too hasty."

He tilted his head, evading the scythe blade that shot out to skewer his eye socket. "But that is a lesson for another time." He continued on as if nothing was amiss.

Infuriated, Naruto snarled like a wild animal, her blood falling to the floor as she lost control.

"I told you, Naruto Uzumaki. Your Bloodlimit has made you arrogant. And I will beat that out of you."

The elder flashed before the exhausted redhead, burying his fist in her gut.

Eyes bulging, Naruto heaved, globules of blood spurting from her mouth as she was sent flying back.

She crashed into the opposite far wall, crumbling to a broken heap on the floor.

Groaning, she rolled onto her back, finding Danzo standing over her once more.

_'Why hadn't I gone to Dad or Jiji for help?' _Unfortunately, present Naruto knew the answer to that. _'Deep down... I didn't believe he would care. And I convinced myself Jiji couldn't save me... And maybe... maybe he really he couldn't have... Heh. It's way too late to be thinking this now... what's done... is done...'_

"I will beat you until you can no longer move." Danzo informed her solemnly. "And when you stand again, you will kneel. And you will obey."

"F-fuck you!" The redhead spat, baring her bloodied teeth.

Danzo's cane crushed her mouth.

That day she discovered what hatred was.

Naruto choked on blood and screams.

* * *

Naruto ran through the maze-like hallways of her personal training grounds. An underground place hidden beneath Konoha's red light district.

It was so close to her home it was almost funny.

In a really convoluted sort of way.

It took an entire month for Danzo to literally beat sense into Naruto. And her hatred for him grew larger and larger each passing day.

Nothing but a red streak in the dimly lit stone halls, Naruto maneuvered with savage grace, the black blindfold around her ocean eyes irrelevant, as she knew the underground better than the back of her hand.

Seven mindless ROOT fodder chased endlessly after her, spamming dangerous jutsu after jutsu.

With her hands behind her in tight bondage, and orders not to touch them, she had no choice but to dodge, duck, and run.

It was the cripple's twisted idea of speed training.

If Naruto was too slow, being burnt to a crisp was her own fault, wasn't it?

The redhead snorted sardonically, running up the side of the wall, and taking off again with blurring speed. She back flipped, and cartwheeled, and rolled time after time with frightening skill.

They never touched her.

"Enough."

Naruto somersaulted from the wall, landing elegantly on one knee, and with her head bowed. Kneeling. She pulled the blindfold off, and tossed it to the side somewhere, never lifting her head.

Danzo stepped from around a bend, looming over the redhead in that almighty way of his.

Naruto bit her lip to keep from snarling something snarky.

She ended up snarling anyways when Danzo's stick slammed into the back of her skull, forcing her to faceplant.

"Ow! What the hell!?" She growled.

"Watch that tongue Uzumaki." Danzo bludgeoned her again.

Vision swimming, Naruto clenched her fist in restraint.

She would not scream in pain for him ever again.

It only seemed to make him want to hurt her more.

"You were thinking something disrespectful again, child." The cripple said, lifting his stick.

Naruto frustratedly wiped away the fresh blood trickling into her eyes.

"Leave us." Danzo ordered.

The ROOT fodder wordlessly left the way they came.

"Come along Uzumaki." Danzo called, silently returning back around the bend from which he'd come.

Naruto dragged herself to her feet, keeping herself from attempting to behead the insufferable cripple with a blood blade.

He always made it a point to make her bleed, and then beat the ever living shit out of her to show her, even with her bloodlimit, someone was still capable of utterly dominating her.

Naruto hated him.

"Che." She bit out, grinding her teeth so hard she swore she could hear the bones groan.

Everyday she stewed in insatiable rage.

And every day, it eroded the barrier between sanity and insanity.

Naruto thoughtlessly followed the cripple as he lead her on what seemed to be a wild goose chase.

Patience burned down to a deadened stub, Naruto nearly demanded where they were going. The genjutsu with the rag dolls had made Naruto believe the underground was just endless hallways, but truthfully, there were doors stretching down every hallway.

Danzo suddenly stopped before a door, and bit his thumb, wiping blood down the sealing array he had Naruto create for him. She could enter any door, as she designed the locking mechanisms to keep outsiders out. Though, she honestly didn't want to see any of the atrocities Danzo had hidden in the rooms of the underground.

She didn't enter any underground room unless Danzo walked in first.

He had to be first doing everything.

He was just petty like that.

Naruto snorted under her breath, and dodged the cane that move to crunch her nose into the back of her skull. Though, she just received a shattering jab to the solar plexus immediately after she avoided the first attack. A jab in which sent her to the floor wheezing as she choked on blood.

"Rise, Uzumaki."

Glaring murder at the back of the elder's bandaged head, Naruto stumbled to her feet, spitefully spitting crimson onto the floor.

"What do you see?"

Naruto reframed from grumbling 'a decrepit ugly bastard'.

She stepped around Danzo, going pale at the sight before her.

It was a large room.

A single light shined dimly down from above.

Twelve people sat in a line facing the entrance, tied to chairs with seal inscripted chains.

They were all wearing blindfolds and gags.

But that didn't drown out their terrified whimpers.

They were all male merchants, save for one, who was a snow top, curly haired old woman. She still wore a floral bathrobe, and blue fuzzy house slippers.

She seemed perfectly at home chained to the chair, and was patiently humming a calming tune around her black cloth gag.

"Wh-what the hell…?" Naruto choked.

She really should have expected the blow she received to the back of the head for that.

Picking herself back up, Naruto was still too shocked by the sight before her.

"What is this…?" Naruto murmured, appalled.

"They are Sound spies."

"What the hell is a Sound?"

"A village founded by Orochimaru of the Sannin, foolish child." Danzo told her, sounding almost spiteful. "He is this village's greatest shame. And he has been keeping tabs on us. Though, for what, I am not sure. At least… not _yet_."

Naruto repressed a shiver.

Danzo was one creepy fucker.

She didn't ask him why he had brought her to the spies. He had already let it slide when she asked what Sound was.

"I want you to make them feel as miserable as possible. And then kill them." Danzo deadpanned.

Naruto's blood froze.

She could not find words.

She fumbled with the item Danzo tossed to her.

She lost all color when she realized it was a pair of rusty pliers.

"You will accomplish this feat with that tool alone."

Naruto found her voice.

"I don't want to."

She expected to be hit.

Honestly, she had, but she didn't expect the cripple take hold of her neck with his single good hand, and lift her entirely off the ground.

Danzo squeezed.

Naruto sputtered, red flooding into her cheeks as her breath was stolen from her lungs.

The white of her eyes webbed with veins as they widened for more than one reason.

His other eye was unveiled.

Naruto gaped at the fully matured sharingan that glared at her through loose bandages.

'_Oh yeah… the cripple stole Fugaku's sharingan...'_

"I could never kill someone so thoughtlessly!" Naruto spat.

"Tell yourself it's a game then." Danzo ordered coldly. "You will take these people apart with those pliers, you will like it, and you will obey."

"I-I couldn't do that to someone… I wanted to get stronger… but not like this!"

Danzo tossed her to the floor as if she was less than trash.

Naruto curled up on the floor, clutching her bruised neck, and hacking violently.

"Would it help if I informed you that they have all killed children?"

Naruto stiffened.

"Children have a way of stumbling in on things that they should not. Say… a meeting on what to inform Orochimaru about the Leaf first?"

Disgust swelled within Naruto.

What an entirely despicable man.

Naruto clasped the pliers she had dropped when Danzo had began strangling her.

She stumbled over to the first captured person.

The old woman.

Naruto's heart almost stopped when she realized it was the old lady from the Laundromat that always chased her off with a broom, as if she was an unwanted rodent.

Naruto, with shaking hands, pulled the gag from the old woman's mouth, and the blindfold from around her eyes.

The woman's deceptively kind lavender eyes crinkled with a smile as she instantly recognized the redhead.

Her cracked lips stretched into a sagging grin.

"I always knew you were a monster, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto smiled miserably.

"I dont want to hear that from you, you goddamn hag."

She rose her pliers.

Danzo's eyes slipped closed, expression pleased.

* * *

Drenched in blood, Naruto laughed uproariously, surrounded by mutilated corpses missing teeth and toes and fingers, and even ears.

Danzo watched aloofly as Naruto lost it.

_'I've had enough... I don't want to see this anymore...'_

She laughed as something streamed down her blood covered face.

_'I don't want to remember what despair feels like...'_

The walls were stained with blood.

_'Kami how could I have done that?'_

Her shaking hands were stained with blood.

_'It smells like death... it's overwhelming...'_

Everything was covered in blood.

"I'm dirty now." She gasped between guffaws. "I'm a killer. You made me a killer."

Naruto folded over at the waist, tears speckling the floor she had painted with blood.

"It's a game. Break Naru-chan! The silly brain game~!"

Danzo watched as she began trembling with something other than laughter.

"Hehehehehe~ it's fun!" She lied. "SO MUCH FUN~!"

_'Kami help me...'_

Naruto fell to her knees.

"J-just… just a game… The Brain Game… Naruto's got a broken brain…" She rambled.

Naruto looked around at the bloodbath created by her hands.

She thought of her father, who was a hero.

And she sobbed.

_'I wish I was dead...'_

* * *

Lying on her back, Naruto jolted awake.

"I see you're awake."

Forcing her heartbeat to calm, Naruto flipped through the catalogue in her brain to identify that deep smooth voice.

"Kakashi-Sensei?"

"We have a few things to discuss, don't you think, Naruto-chan?" He asked cheerfully. Though, Naruto could feel the grave undertone.

She would have answered with something completely smartassed just to get a rise out of the Copy Nin, but, she noticed how parched she felt. How utterly drained of life her body seemed. Her lungs felt like dried prunes in the chamber of her chest.

'_What the hell…? Why do I feel so shitty…?'_

'**It has to do with why you were so unfocused while fighting the browless ape, as well as you not having enough time to recover from your anemia.' **The Fox imputed helpfully.

'_Thanks Fox.'_

'**I am a wondrous specimen, aren't I?' **The beast gloated.

Naruto ignored Kyuubi, focusing on the matter at hand.

She swallowed dryly several times, finding her voice.

"First Sensei, can I ask how long I've been out of it?" The redhead rasped.

Kakashi sighed.

"Two days." The scarecrow supplied. "Just don't think you're getting out of talking to me. This is very serious, Naruto."

'_Shit! Two__** days**__? I need at __**least**__ two__** weeks**__ to be okay from anemia if I don't drink blood from a scroll or someone else!'_

Naruto blinked sluggishly, stiffening as Kakashi's woodland scent tantalized her sense of smell.

But, that wasn't all that caught her attention.

The sclera of her eye flooded with black as she recognized the warm coppery scent flowing beneath his skin.

Naruto began to salivate.

'**Jailor, you mustn't succumb to madness. It will only make your condition worse. You still have not let me explain what happened during the browless ape incident. Because of your condition, you are remembering things you should not.'**

Glowing red irises took on a deranged gleam.

She was too far gone to take note of the slightly panicked tone Kyuubi was addressing her in.

'_Dinner time!'_ Naruto inwardly cackled.

'**Curses!'**

* * *

**Welp, nothing to say here. Well, unless you want to know that I felt like a total douchebag while writing this?**

***Cricket noises***

**Guess not...**

**Poor Naru!**

**Thanks for the support guys, you're all beautiful. T^T**

'**Til next time.**


	13. Hello, My Name Is

**I'm such a dork for going to the computer lab at lunch to upload this...**

**:p**

**I don't own Naruto. **

**Enjoy, or Danzo will wack you with his cane.**

* * *

Kakashi gawked when Naruto tore her mask from her face, and hurled herself at him, eyes demonic, and fangs bared.

Something flashed into the room.

A moment later, Naruto's teeth sank into flesh.

She blinked widely.

She knew that taste...

Bewildered, the redhead pulled back, blood dripping from her fangs, and trickling down her chin.

"Shisui?"

"Surprise!" The Uchiha chirped.

Kakashi, who was still sitting criss cross applesauce about three feet from the mat Naruto had been lying on blinked, instinctively having drawn a kunai.

He slipped it away slyly.

Shisui Uchiha was crouched between the agitated redhead and the baffled Hatake, his back to said Hatake.

His left forearm was extended, Naruto's circular puncture wounds causing the bare skin to weep.

"Shisui, w-what the heck are you doing here?" Naruto nearly stuttered, wiping the blood away from her mouth with a weak hand.

The older ROOT smiled kindly.

"Kakashi-san sent your blood clone to inform Hokage-sama of the situation. In return, he sent me as back up."

"Oh." Naruto said. "Where is it now?"

"Downstairs with the genin. No one knows I'm here but you two."

Naruto nodded in understanding.

And then, she realized her face was bare, and scrambled for the mask she had previously tossed aside.

Shisui chuckled, noticing the slight pink tinge in Naruto's whiskered cheeks.

"Kakashi-sensei... listen... about what I-"

The scarecrow waved off the Uzumaki's ashamed apology.

"Anemia?" He inquired simply.

Securing her mask around her face, Naruto nodded. She was glad Kakashi was such a perceptive and understanding dude. It made things way more convenient and way less agonizing.

"So, you said Kakashi-sensei sent my blood clone?" Naruto asked Shisui, dissipating a possible awkward silence.

"Mhmm." Shisui hummed.

"I made two." Naruto frowned, looking over at the silver haired man. "Sensei...?"

Kakashi once again waved away her worries.

"It's still here. This is Tazuna-san's place by the way. Your clone's been helping Tsunami-san around the house and such."

"Tsunami?" Naruto and Shisui chorused, sending each other short wry looks.

"Tazuna-san's daughter." The scarecrow supplied. "She has a young son, Inari."

"Tazuna is the bridge builder we're protecting, right?" Shisui asked.

Both team seven members nodded in confirmation.

There was a pause.

"Wait." The redhead spoke up. "_My _clone is _helping _someone? _Willingly?"_

Shisui shook his head at his partner's skeptical tone.

Kakashi shrugged.

"It's way too early for her brain to be rotting." Naruto deadpanned. "Why the hell would she be helping anyone without being ordered by me first?"

Shisui let a bark of laughter escape his lips.

Naruto shot him a scowl when he smiled innocently.

"Your clones are only trouble makers to _you, _ Naruto-chan."

"And her teammates." Kakashi sighed, ebony eye drooping with exasperation as he no doubt remembered something annoying her clone had recently done.

Naruto shrugged.

"I've been trying to figure out my clones for ages. It's a mystery."

"Also, they always have a huge crush on me." Shisui piped up.

Naruto flushed beneath her mask.

"It's not huge!" She squawked.

"Ah, but you don't deny it exists." Shisui wagged a teasing finger at her.

"Hmph! Whatever." Naruto muttered.

"My, isn't that interesting." Kakashi said, eye smiling.

"What is Sensei?" Naruto asked.

"You and Shisui-kun here seem to know each other very well."

Both ROOT operatives suddenly became serious.

Kakashi opened his visible eye once more, equally serious.

"You wouldn't be saying that unless you'd already figured out why that is, Sensei." The redhead drawled.

Both ROOT nin turned to face the scarecrow fully, sitting down in the same easy manner as him.

"Of course I have Naruto. What kind of Jounin would I be if I couldn't connect the fact that you know Shisui, you trust him, and you have skill beyond normal ANBU in your grasp?"

Naruto shrugged.

"A bad one?"

Shisui smacked the back of her head.

Naruto smirked at him with her eyes.

Kakashi held back a smile.

"Alright you two that's enough." He said.

"Okay, but really Sensei, what's the big idea?" Naruto asked.

"The big idea Naruto, is that you're a ROOT agent parading around as a below average Genin."

"Well, I don't really have a choice, Sensei. It's follow orders, or it's off to the chopping block."

"Naruto!" Shisui exclaimed.

The redhead snickered shamelessly behind her hand.

"I'm kidding Sensei." Naruto placated, calming the horrified look in the scarecrow's ebony eye.

Though, suddenly, she became unexplainably cold, as if remembering something.

_'More like beaten into the ground... the cripple can't afford to kill me.'_

Oceanic eyes hardened to glacial pools of bitterness.

"I don't question orders." Naruto said darkly. "I obey, and I concede. It's how I was trained to operate."

"Naruto...?" Shisui called, trailing off. "Do you...?"

The eccentric Uchiha knew all about Naruto having no memories of her ROOT training with Danzo.

The first time he had seen her brutality in the field, he had demanded to know what the hell was her problem, and asked if Danzo had taught her _anything _about self control. Naruto had answered honestly, by telling the raven haired boy that she didn't know. Shisui had eventually gotten over it, and just assumed her mission personality was her way of dealing with being a high ranking shinobi at such a young age. He was correct to assume that, though, Danzo had forced such behavior out of her. So much so, that it drove her absolutely mad and she created another persona because she couldn't handle the weight of the abominable things she had done.

"Yeah," Naruto grunted grimly. "Some of it came back. Not much, just fragments of the first two months."

"Oh crap..." Shisui murmured. "What hap-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." Naruto butted in. "Let's just say the person that wears that mask is a product of Danzo."

Shisui paled.

"Naruto-chan? Shisui-kun?" Kakashi said, dragging the attention back over to him.

The redhead forced her dark thoughts to the back of her head to examine later, when she was alone.

She thought best in the dark with a guitar in hand.

Naruto shook her head, denying the Hatake's silent questioning of the small conversation between she and her partner.

"I'll tell you what I can, which should really be nothing, as no one but Danzo and Shisui should know I'm ROOT. But, I'm sure Dad finally found out somehow, and he sent Shisui here to keep tabs on me."

The Uchiha had the decency to look mildly ashamed.

"Wait, Sensei knows?" Kakashi bugged out.

Naruto shrugged for the nth time.

"More importantly, Danzo illegally recruited a minor into a Black Op organization. Even worse, the Hokage's secret daughter. I imagine Dad was pretty pissed to find the cripple has been sneaking around in such a way."

Shisui scoffed at the complete understatement.

"Hokage-sama and Lord Third were livid Naruto."

The redhead looked at him, alarmed.

"Jiji too?"

Shisui nodded. "You used a ROOT subduing maneuver on an almost fresh Genin Naruto. Do you think the Kage and Jounin weren't monitoring that room?"

It was Naruto's turn to look ashamed.

"I lost my temper alright?" She grumbled.

"You're just lucky I was able to calm you down." The Uchiha mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, by flashing your stupid sharingan like a damn badge for the party pooper force." Naruto shot back.

Shisui's jaw dropped.

"Seriously!?" He gaped. "You're going there, even though you _know _you were wrong? So much so, that you apologized, which you _never _do!?"

"You bet your ass I'm going there. You flashed your sharingan at me!" Naruto accused huffily. "I can't _believe _you did that man. We go _way _back."

Kakashi deadpanned, watching them begin to argue back and forth.

"You raised hands against comrades!" Shisui defended.

The redhead scowled stubbornly.

"They weren't even officially Genin yet!"

"That's _worse! _That means you attacked civilians!" Shisui huffed.

"Alright Uchiha, that's _it!"_

Naruto bit her hand and tackled the Uchiha to the hardwood floors.

He yelped in horror as the redhead smeared blood down the side of his face.

"Naruto what the hell!?" Shisui freaked out.

The redhead's mood lightened considerably at the older ROOT's misfortune.

"That's what you get for knocking me out." She chuckled. "I never got to pay you back because I haven't seen you lately, but nothing's stopping me now..." She trailed off ominously.

"Ugh that is so gross Naruto." Shisui complained, face scrunched up comically. "You can't just do stuff like that to people. It's demented!"

Naruto grinned, eyes wrinkling creepily at their corners.

"I can, and I _will."_

The older ROOT grabbed the high collar of the redhead's jumpsuit, and yanked her down so they were nose to nose.

Naruto gaped at him.

"H-hey, what the hell are you doing!?" Naruto struggled, still weak from her anemia.

She couldn't pull away fast enough.

Smirking briefly, Shisui began to clean his face with the dark fabric.

"Sonofabitch!" Naruto cursed.

Shisui collapsed into guffaws as Naruto pinched his nose in retaliation.

"Are you two quite done?" Kakashi asked flatly.

The two ROOT paused in the middle of the half assed wrestling match they had began.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly, offering a hand to pull Shisui up. He took it, and the ROOT partners sat once again like civilized human beings.

"So?" Kakashi raised a silver brow. "What _can _you tell me? Even if you take orders from Danzo, telling me everything wouldn't cause you any trouble, because you shouldn't even be apart of his organization in the first place."

The redhead blinked slowly.

Both males waited nearly a minute for her response.

"Hmmm...? You're right." Naruto drawled.

Shisui smacked his forehead.

"Well, I'll just tell you straight up. Orochimaru wants Sasuke's body. I'm genin age, I _am _capable of going against a Sanin and living to tell the tale, and Sasuke needs a meat shield. So, naturally, I was assigned as the blood bag to make a mess everywhere incase Sasuke's in danger."

Both males in the room winced at Naruto's tactless explanation.

"Oh yeah, Shisui." Naruto piped up.

"Hmm?" The raven gave her a curious look.

"Congrats on leveling up from fodder to double agent."

"You brat!" Shisui beamed, yanking her into a headlock, and grinding his knuckles into her scalp. "Who are you calling fodder? I was Danzo's right hand man!"

"Oooh~" Naruto teased back. "No 'sama' for the cripple 'Sui-kun? I'm so used to you kissing his saggy old ass it's shocking you can refer to him as anything less then your lord and savior."

"Naruto you are such a freak!" Shisui exclaimed exaggeratedly, making theatrical gagging noises, all the while ruffling her hair affectionately.

Naruto laughed, blue-green eyes alight with untainted bubbly mirth.

Kakashi was astounded.

_'I can't even see her whole face, but I __**know**__ I've __**never **__seen Naruto look so honestly happy...' _The scarecrow thought. _'She's always so indifferent and sarcastic with her teammates... this must be what it looks like when Naruto truly cares about someone...'_

Kakashi thought about how Naruto had interacted with Konohamaru. How softly she had reassured him, and how the crinkle in her eyes as she smiled held no cynical tilt.

_'Naruto cares about a select few... and only they get to see this kind, joking, and goofy side of her directed at them. Well, except maybe the Fourth... Sensei probably doesn't even know what the girl's favorite color is.' _

Kakashi had never approved of Minato's way of handling the girl, but he knew his Sensei had his reasons.

_'What would you think if you saw this side of her, Sensei?' _The scarecrow wondered. _'It really is something...'_

Kakashi smiled, watching the two ROOT jokingly bicker back and forth.

_'I hope someday you can learn to trust your teammates and I the same way, Naruto.'_

* * *

Shisui, and Kakashi went downstairs in search for a meal as Naruto excused herself to hunt down the nearest shower.

Which means, she got up suddenly, and rudely said: 'I gotta take a piss, and I probably smell like roadkill, later losers'. Well, actually, Shisui wanted grub. The Kakashi with them had been a shadow clone, the real one being with Sasuke and Sakura as Tazuna worked on the bridge.

Naruto saw it dispel as soon as Shisui got up to go introduce himself to Tsunami and Inari, and inevitably leech food from them.

The redhead rolled her eyes. Shisui was so charming, he could talk someone suffering from alopecia out of their hair.

Heh.

In the shower, Naruto unsealed her waterproof supplies kit from the side of her upper left thigh. She pulled out a bottle of scentless shinobi shampoo as well as the same brand of bar soap. She thoroughly cleaned herself, combed her hair, pulled it back into a sloppy bun, and stuck multiple senbon around its perimeter.

Garbed in a fresh black jumpsuit and her black sandals, Naruto tied her beige shuriken pouch around her waist, some bandages around her right thigh, and fastened her red senbon pouch around her thigh as well.

Naruto exited the bathroom, making her way downstairs, and then, she was hit with a sudden bout of vertigo.

The redhead tipped forward, almost tumbling ass over head down the steps. Something flickered into existence before her, and her forehead thumped against a strong shoulder. Hands gently yet firmly held onto her upper arms, keeping her standing as she tried to stop swaying.

"Naruto, you put up a good act, but I know you're not alright."

The redhead didn't bother answering the Uchiha, and didn't put up a fight when he took it upon himself to shunshin them both to the roof of Tazuna's house.

Shisui sat down, and arranged Naruto between his legs so that her back rested against his front.

The redhead panted slightly, feeling too weak to complain about being manhandled.

Shisui didn't mean anything by it other then making sure she was alright, and wouldn't go tumbling down the side of the house.

"-'idn't need any help..." Naruto muttered.

Shisui scoffed, offering no further reply.

_'How is it I know you so well, that I know that scoff was you calling me "liar"...?'_

Smiling slightly, Naruto looked up.

The sky above was clear of clouds, an afternoon blue housing a soft breeze. Naruto leaned the back of her head against Shisui's shoulder, and sighed, content to breathe in the fresh air. She smelled a hint of forest and the sea in the gentle breeze.

"This is nice." She murmured absently, eyes falling half mast.

"Naruto, you're as pale as death." Shisui said behind her.

The redhead sighed tiredly.

"Shisui, you know I don't like drinking blood." She stated. _'Well, not until I'm actually doing it...' _She finished silently.

_'Though, only reason I ever drank yours was because you asked me to... without you... I wouldn't have the reputation of never failing a mission...'_

"Is that why you tried to eat Kakashi?" Shisui asked seriously.

Naruto winced.

_'You've saved me more times I want to admit... if not for you, I would've never found out drinking someone's blood could heal me...'_

She sighed again, and stared up at the calm sky.

She leaned into her partner's warmth.

_'Heh. I'm still not sure if it's a good thing I know I can feed off of people.'_

"You don't have to go there." Naruto said instead. "I lost it for a moment. Something in my head isn't right."

"Something's always loose in there Naruto, but that doesn't mean you can attack people." Shisui chided. "If it wasn't Kakashi, and it was someone from the village who hates you, you could've had to face a trial."

"Yeah, well, it's not like Dad would let the village elders hang the Jinchuuriki. No one wants to admit it, but Konoha needs me."

Shisui took hold of her left wrist, and squeezed it slightly to show his disapproval.

"How can you say that as if Hokage-sama wouldn't care if you were dead?"

Naruto blinked, a slight haze clouding her eyes.

_"Minato hates you. You are simply a reminder of all the things he lost on the cursed day of your birth."_

Shisui squeezed her wrist again when she didn't answer.

Naruto tried to pushed Danzo's words to the back of her head. Amazing. He managed to be an annoyance even as a figment of someone's imagination.

"Because, I'm not sure he actually would…" She finally admitted.

_'I wish it was as easy to lie to the people I care about as it is to lie to others...'_

"Of course he would. Don't be an idiot Naruto, Hokage-sama loves you. He's your dad."**(1)**

_"You are a weapon and will behave as such."_

_"You are nothing."_

Sleepily, Naruto blinked, and then frowned lightly.

'_Why... am I so out of it...?'_

"How can you be so sure? Have you ever even seen him make eye contact with me? Have you ever seen us together? Hell, he won't even admit to his people that we're related."

_"Minato hates you."_

"Naruto, that's not fair. He's the Hokage, he has his duties, and he won't tell anyone because he has enemies. He's trying to keep you safe." Shisui argued firmly.

_"-**hates **You."_

_'Kami get out of my HEAD!'_

"That's bullshit. He can't stand me. Why else would he avert his eyes every time I'm in the room?" Naruto came back to herself long enough to snap at the Uchiha.

_"Minato hates you."_

There was a long pause.

"Did you try asking him?"

'_Is this guy for real?'_

Naruto used all of her energy to lunge forward so she could turn around to glare at Shisui.

"Don't give me that Uchiha. You think I haven't tried talking to him? He always gives me half assed responses, and changes the subject, or tells me he's busy. He doesn't want to know me, or look at me. I accepted that a long time ago."

"If you accept it-which doesn't mean I believe Hokage-sama hates you for a _second-_ why do you look so sad while saying that?"

Naruto's brows furrowed slightly.

"What? Shisui, I'm not sad." The redhead said, confused.

Shisui smiled.

"No matter what you do in the field Naruto, when you're really being yourself, the Naruto Uzumaki that _I _know, your eyes never lie."

Naruto stared into Shisui's midnight eyes for a long moment, searching.

Shisui stared back.

Naruto's mouth twitched.

Shisui's mouth twitched.

They both cracked grins.

"Dude Shisui that was so corny!" Naruto howled, laughing her ass off.

Shisui laughed along with her, holding onto Naruto's arm so she wouldn't topple off the roof from the force of her laughter.

_'Shisui may be right... Danzo is nothing. I will figure out myself how my father feels...'_

_"Minato-"_

Naruto crushed that voice.

_'Fuck you Danzo.'_

"No, but seriously Naruto, if somethings wrong in your head, I could check it out with my sharingan if you want?" He said through gasping breaths.

Shisui, being a holder of the infamous Mangekyo Sharingan was a master of hypnosis. So much so, he didn't even have to always make eye contact with his victims. He was also well versed in the human mind. Mind fucking to Shisui was seals and music to Naruto. He was, quite simply, a genius.

Naruto finally found her breath again, quieting down to a snicker here and there.

"Yeah, something's definitely not right in there. I can never focus for long periods of time, and I've been having random thoughts sporadically. The Fox said whatever is wrong is also causing the memories Danzo sealed away to come back to me."

That wiped the grin right off of the Uchiha's face.

He gawked.

"_Danzo_ is the reason you can't remember half of your training? _Intentionally?_ I always thought the trauma made your mind reject your memories or something! And what's this about 'The Fox'? You_ talk_ to it!?" He wailed.

'**Tell that blathering buffoon I am no it!' **Kyuubi roared.

_'Technically, you are, I read Bijuu don't have genders...'_

**'You DARE oppose me!?'**

The redhead inwardly winced.

"Whoa!" Naruto said, focusing back on her nearly hysterical partner. "Calm your tits Mom! And Kyuubi doesn't seem to like being referred to as an 'it'."

Shisui seemed to be struggling with heart palpitations.

"You can hear it in your head right _now!?"_

"Tits." Naruto flatlined. "Calm them."

Shisui scowled.

Naruto grinned wickedly.

"Alright, jeez!_ Yes,_ Danzo screwed me over from day one, _yes _I can hear the Kyuubi, and _yes,_ we do talk sometimes. Though, it mostly consists of him continuously insulting my intelligence and kindly referring to me as 'ape', or 'wretch'."

'**I find it quite fitting.'** The Fox sniffed.

"Yeah, he's a _real_ gem." Naruto deadpanned.

'**Why thank you ape.'**

"Poor thing also doesn't seem capable of differing sarcasm from genuine compliments." The redhead continued dryly.

'**Are you insinuating something?'**

"So anyways, can you fix my head?" Naruto asked on a more cheerful note.

Shisui looked at her flatly.

"Honestly, I don't know yet, you might have to have a Yamanaka look at it."

"Just get in there already." Naruto huffed, quickly losing her patients.

Shisui rolled his eyes, already way over the new information he had just received.

He lied down on his back, pulling Naruto along with him, and she rested her head on his chest.

Naruto, with Konohamaru being a closet snuggler, was more used to being close to others then most would think.

Also, she had drank Shisui's blood on more than one occasion, so, she could safely say she was pretty damn close to him.

Though, she had people she allowed to be close to her. Don't let it be said she was very affectionate with anyone other than the people she cared about. She was a complicated person, and had accepted that a long time ago.

Hey man, psychos needed a hug sometimes too.

The redhead made herself comfortable in her partner's arms.

"I'm going in." Shisui warned her.

When Naruto sniggered to herself, he smiled slightly and rolled his eyes again.

"I told you you were a freak." He muttered.

"I never denied it smartass."

Naruto froze when the Uchiha activated his Mangekyo.

* * *

"**It's about time you got here, foolish ape. Though, I cannot say I am so happy to see you brought another primate along with you."**

"Good to see you too, Fox." Naruto lied.

Shisui stared wide eyed up at the massive dark orange beast pressed against the bars of it's prison, muzzle menacingly pulled back into a perpetual snarl.

"Don't wet yourself now." Naruto teased. " It's okay, he's all hot air anyways."

"**I will eat you, mortal."** Was all The Fox said.

Naruto scoffed.

"I'm counting the days fluffy."

Kyuubi growled at her.

**"Don't tempt me."**

Naruto repressed another scoff, snapping her fingers in front of her partner's face to awaken him.

Shisui blinked.

"Sorry, I haven't seen him since I was like, six. It was a pretty traumatic experience." Shisui mumbled.

_'I see you took a hint and started calling the Fox 'he'. Heh. Good 'ol Shisui.'_

Naruto patted her partner's shoulder in understanding.

**"Why can you not be like this one jailor? He is truly wise, wise to fear me, that is."**

_'Is... is the fox pouting...?' _Naruto thought, horrified.

**"Become wise ape, and fear my greatness!" **The beast preached.

"It's not happening man." She flatlined.

The fox's large ears drooped slightly.

**"Beyond that matter ape, look around you, and tell me if you have finally realized the magnitude of your errors."**

"What." Naruto said intelligently.

**"Fool!" **Kyuubi roared, making Shisui gaped as the fox's breath blew his hair even more askew, and nearly sent him off his feet. **"Look at the state of this despicable trench you call a mind! It is even more vile in here than usual!"**

Instead of responding, Naruto looked around, her partner following her lead, and his nose immediately scrunched up as the smell registered in his brain.

It smelled like blood. But that wasn't it. It also smelled like decay. Like rotten hamburger meat left too long in the bottom of the refrigerator.

Looking down at their feet, the partners found their ankles submerged in a pool of dark blood. The thick liquid was so deep in red pigment, they couldn't even see their own reflections.

They looked around, standing in the center of a vast sewer with burnt orange walls, and intricate seals carved within every surface. Metal pipes ran along the ceiling, and the bottom of the walls.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

The walls had cracks.

Some cracks were so wide, if you peered through the dim orange light of the sewer, you could see flesh pulsing with life behind the blemishes. Though, not just any flesh. Faint, venous, pink-gray flesh. It was brain matter. And as it pulsed, the flesh wept streams of blood down the walls that lead to the pool around the ROOT's ankles.

Naruto looked back up at the fox, as serious as murder.

"Kyuubi," Naruto called grimly. "What is this?"

She looked at her partner when she felt his hand clamp onto her shoulder.

She didn't like how bleak his usually kind eyes were as they stared into her own.

"Naruto, it looks like your mindscape is decomposing." Shisui murmured grimly.

**"The boy is right, jailor." **Kyuubi rumbled. **"Because your mind is wasting away, the things hidden come forth as everything else slowly disappears. You forced back adolescence to focus on your shinobi training, yet, you find yourself attracted to others. The bandaged ape sealed your memories, yet, as you lose yourself, the seal dissolves, and everything comes flooding back. You cannot focus because your mind is quite simply, in shambles."**

Naruto had no idea how to respond. Though, she didn't have to. Kyuubi wasn't done.

**"Yes, controlling large quantities of blood will make you tired, as you are not used to doing so, but it does not explain why you are so tired you can barely stand on your own. But I will tell you what does."**

The Nine Tail's next words shocked both ROOT nin to their very core.

**"You are dying, Naruto Uzumaki."**

Shisui caught her as her knees gave out.

Scowling, the Uchiha looked at the entirely serious fox, gazing up without a smidgen of fear within him.

"What's wrong with her? Why is this happening, and how do we stop it?"

**"You cannot help her, boy." **The Fox stated. **"Only she can stop this."**

"Tch!" Shisui tutted, pulling Naruto into his chest, as if to shield her from Kyuubi's words.

Helplessly, the redhead looked up at her Bijuu.

The fox stared back with deep vermillion eyes.

Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that he was disappointed in her.

It made her feel... unpleasant.

**"It was bound to happen, but with you cursing that abomination of yours' existence, it only speeds up the process of your expiration date, foolish girl."**

Naruto's eyes sharpened.

She knew.

She knew _exactly _what the Fox meant by that.

Her mind drifted off, becoming ensnared by turmoil, racing thoughts, and colliding emotions.

**"What you have torn in two should always be whole. So you would have eventually died anyway. That is why that technique is **_**forbidden. **_**It is not a permanent solution." **Kyuubi rumbled.

"Naruto, what's he talking about?" Shisui asked.

Naruto's eyes were glazed over. She barely registered Shisui was even holding her up.

_'What... what have I DONE!?' _Naruto thought, entirely conflicted. _'Harime has possession of half of my soul... if I deny she's apart of me... I'm indirectly destroying myself...!'_

**"I see you have realized now what it is you have done, Naruto." **Vermillion eyes narrowed. ** "By playing Kami, you have simply set yourself up for destruction. If only you had accepted yourself for who you are, you would not face this crisis now."**

"Naruto...?" Shisui called, shaking her a bit. "Calm down. Kyuubi said you can fix it. So it's going to be alright. Don't panic."

The Uchiha was relieved when Naruto stood up once more on her own.

She turned completely to The Fox.

Her eyes were a calm sea of determination.

"How long do I have?" She asked simply.

Shisui's eyes widened.

The Fox's maw curled into a grotesque grin.

**"You have six months until my healing abilities can no longer balance out your state of decomposition. That is six months to come to your decision before you fall apart."**

Naruto grabbed Shisui's hand, squeezing it reassuringly, but contradicted herself as she grinned something wicked.

"I've already made my decision, Fox." The redhead chuckled darkly, flashing her partner a look. "Say Shisui-kun, don't you think it's about time I betrayed Danzo?"

Shisui searched her eyes for a moment.

Her azure sea foam blues never wavered. But honestly, he had never expected them to.

Shisui smiled.

"Sounds like fun, Naruto-chan."

Naruto laughed as her partner faded from her mindscape.

She turned back to the Fox, surprising him when she bowed respectfully.

"Thanks, Kyuubi. I owe you one." The redhead admitted.

There was a pregnant pause.

**"Kurama."**

Naruto blinked rapidly at the simple response, looking back up at the Bijuu she jailed in utter bafflement.

"Huh?"

**"It is not Fox or Kyuubi. And most certainly not **_**fluffy." **_He sneered towards the end, making the redhead snicker. **"My **_**name,**_** insignificant wretch, is Kurama."**

A long moment passed.

The redhead stared with wide oceanic eyes.

Her eyes crinkled at the corners.

And then...

Naruto smiled.

"Nice to meet you Kurama! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and that is most _certainly_ not 'insignificant wretch'."

Kurama sniffed unapologetically as Naruto's giddy laughter echoed around her mindscape, and she too, faded out of sight.

When she was gone, Kurama's snarl went away.

He shook his massive head at his jailer's antics.

Heh.

**"What an entirely peculiar creature..."**

Don't be foolish mortal, Bijuu most certainly do not smile.

* * *

**(1) 'Kay so, Shisui is (WAS, not to the wrinkled bastard's knowledge), Danzo's right hand man. Danzo told Shisui about Naruto's parentage and her being the Kyuubi Jinjuriki. **

**-If you've got questions, I'll be happy to answer 'em :)**

**'Til next time. **


	14. Messed Up

**Sorry this took so long. Finals. Ugh. **

**This chapter is... Meh. -_-'**

**C'mon guys, my foul language is apparent by now. And there is no more blood and insides than usual. It's actually less. ;)**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

"You what?" Shisui asked dryly.

Naruto grimaced, and debated if jumping off of Tazuna's roof was too drastic for the situation she found herself in.

"I said... I split my soul in half, and bonded it to a body I created using a forbidden jutsu from war times..."

Naruto watched Shisui stare at her blankly for what seemed like ages.

"Fix it."

_"Huh?" _Naruto asked intelligently.

Shisui scowled, (it was quite something actually, as he rarely did it, being such a nice guy and all...).

"I _said, __**fix **_it."

Naruto gaped beneath her mask.

How was she supposed to just fix this shithole she tossed herself into just like that? For such a reasonable guy, he expected some pretty unreasonable things. Maybe if she just explained _why _she had done it... he wouldn't be so livid...?

"I-"

"No."

Naruto winced again at that tone.

Shisui was _not _happy.

"I don't want to hear anything Naruto. I don't care _what _made you do it. The fact of the matter is, you used a _forbidden _jutsu unauthorized. A jutsu that was _banned_ during war times, because of the _massive _death toll of assassins thinking it was a good idea to play Kami, and be in two places at once. The truth is, you should be dead 100 times over, because I'm assuming- rightly- you've had half a soul for more than a month."

_'Oh you're right alright...'_

The eccentric Uchiha's cheeks were tinged slightly pink as he contained his (quite obvious), outrage.

"Did you really think you would be okay after splitting your _soul _in half? Naruto, that's like, the source of chakra! It's the source of life energy. It's..." Shisui huffed in frustration. "You are _so _lucky you're not dead. Just... just _fix this...!"_

Naruto watched her partner run an irritated hand through his messy raven curls.

He didn't do that unless he was seriously at a loss, and utterly stressed.

_'Well... now that I really think about it, what __**was **__I thinking? I was so blinded by pulling myself as far away from Harime as possible, I did something beyond rash. And usually, I'm just stupidly prone to overkill..."_

She nodded to herself thoughtfully.

_'On second thought... I'm pretty sure splitting one's soul in two to avoid reality is overkill... never mind...'_

Naruto mused on how to respond to the Uchiha, knowing she had to choose her words carefully. Because, no offense, but he was kind of a goody two shoes, and pretty much followed the rules to the letter.

If she pissed him off even more, he'd tattle to someone who had power over Naruto. Which was pretty much only her Dad, because Danzo couldn't be trusted, for obvious reasons.

"Okay... well... for the record... I was kind of hoping to die during an epic battle where I still managed to kill my opponent. So... I kind of _have _to fix this..."

Never let it be said Naruto could talk a suicide bomber down.

Words kind of weren't her forte, (well, unless she was being a smart assed douche).

She shunshined into Tazuna's house when Shisui looked like he was going to explode.

She found herself back in the room with bland brown rice colored walls, the mat she had been passed out on still in the middle of the scuffed hardwood floors. She spotted her scissor blade near the door, grabbed it, and beat a hasty retreat from the house, taking refuge in the forest.

"We'll be talking later Naruto!" Shisui called after her.

Grimacing, Naruto sped up, and entered the forest, disappearing with distance.

On the way, she forced the impromptu blade back into its bass guitar form.

A few minutes later, she entered a tranquil clearing, and that's when everything went downhill.

Her bass slipped from her fingers, thumping to the grass beside her left foot.

"Wh-what the fu-"

Naruto's knees seemed to have turned to rubber, and were no longer capable of holding her up.

Gasping, the redhead yanked her mask down around her chin.

She felt something inside of her collapse, and fell to her knees, clamping a hand over her mouth as she reacted violently, gagging, and coughing up a heap of blood. The scarlet fluid spilled through her quaking fingers. Wide eyed, Naruto placed her stained, shaking hands flat against the forest grass, and emptied whatever it was that she had just lost.

The blood puddle in the grass had lumps of destroyed flesh speckled within it's substance. Abhorred, Naruto reached into the back of her mouth, and pulled a long line of pink, blobbish, somewhat transparent tissue from the back of her tongue.

"I-is this...?"

'**Unfortunately, yes. That is your stomach lining.**'

The redhead quickly discarded the flesh into her puddle of vomit, nose scrunched in obvious dismay.

**'To heal the wound you received from the browless ape, I ignored that.'**

Naruto pulled more scraps of thin flesh from the back of her throat, coaxing them up by coughing, flicking them from her nails and fingers, or just spitting them into the gruesome mess she had made in the grass.

_'You said I have six months to live Fox!' _The redhead spat.

**'I told you that I have a name, foolish mortal. So USE it.' **Kurama huffed, though, he sobered rather quickly. **'And of course you have six months, but that is only because of my interference. I never said that you would not suffer for it.'**

_'Sorry, I've been calling you that for so long...' _The girl winced, trailing off. _'Anyways, Kurama, what is happening to my body? Why am I falling apart?'_

'**I told you, Naruto.' **The mighty Bijuu rumbled, on a more serious note. **'You are dying. Having half a soul has more consequences than just mind decomposition. Your entire being is withering away without a whole soul to fuel your body and chakra system. So naturally, you are physically decomposing as well. The reason you are just now feeling the affects, is because I was, and am still currently, healing you at the same rate that you decay. But your insides have been left falling apart for so long, I can't keep the pain from registering to you anymore.'**

_'Why? What the hell happened?' _Naruto demanded.

**'Because the seal keeping me at bay filters the amount of my chakra allowed in your system, I cannot heal everything at once anymore. It is simply not enough chakra. I must be selective, and heal what is most important. That is why you have six months. Six months to fix your folly before the amount of chakra I can give is no longer enough, and you fall apart. Permanently. Unfortunately for you, that means you will be seeing quite a few of your insides in the near future.'**

_'Okay, that is fucked up. Like, so fucked up I can't even find humor in it.'_

**'Interesting how you can find amusement in all other suffering but your own.' **Kurama deadpanned.

Naruto shrugged shamelessly in response.

_'It's all kind of funny unless it's me or the people I'm cool with.'_

**'You see, you already acknowledge that you are dark. So what is keeping you from fully accepting yourself?' **The fox suddenly asked. **'I do not understand. You are quite aware of what you are. You tell others of your murderous ways and your deceit, yet, you still run from yourself. Why?'**

Naruto sat back on her calves, and fisted the material of her jumpsuit around her thighs.

Damn. The fox sure could ask loaded questions.

_'I...'_

**'Do not tell me that you don't know. You know, Naruto.' **The Bijuu growled, nonexistent patients burning out to nothing.

The redhead chewed on her bloodied lips.

Her shoulders sagged slightly.

_'It's wrong... the way Harime is... the things that she is capable of... the things I __**allow **__her to do without protest... it's... __**wrong**__.'_

**'But it is who you are. Or, at least, apart of who you are.' **Kurama rationalized.

_'But I don't __**want **__that to be me... I NEVER wanted it. It's what I was forced to become. Is wanting to be separate from Harime really so wrong? Is it? If I accept her it will mean everyone from the past was right about me. That I'm a monster and that's all I was ever supposed to be.'_

_'_**Do you not have other apes still willing to be around you, even knowing the darkness you harbor?' **Kurama snarled.

Naruto's eyes widened.

**'This is precisely why you are foolish.'** Kurama growled.** 'Someone so independent is so dependant on the opinions of others. When will you see that those who cannot accept you for who you are, are worthless? Why must you contradict yourself at every turn? If they hate you, you do not need them. You should not **_**need **_**anyone. Though, as twisted as you are, you are still mortal. So I say this. Somewhere inside you, you know who you are, Naruto. You know who you care for. And that is all that should matter to you.'**

If she recalled, this... what she was experiencing, was called an epiphany.

_'You're... you're right. Kurama...'_ Naruto gasped. _'You're RIGHT...!'_

**'I told you, I am always right.'**

The redhead barely heard him. She was somewhere else entirely, on the road of realization the Fox guided her to, and nearing the end of bafflement and denial.

_ 'I'm still letting Danzo and the villagers screw with me. I'm... I'm really fucked up now... and I can't change it... but I still have things in this wretched world that are worth being around...'_

Naruto gaped at the truth, her mask still around her chin.

_'Yes... the things my hands, and the hands I gave to Harime have done were wrong. I justified them by saying the people I slaughtered were evil. And they were, but I was... no. I am just as evil for doing what I've done. But just because someone is evil... doesn't mean they're incapable of loving someone. I was in denial for so long, telling myself that Danzo forced me to be who I became, and that it wasn't me at all. And he did... but, it's who I am now. I'm not a hero. In fact, I'm pretty despicable.'_

Naruto breathed in deeply, and exhaled heavily.

The truth. She'd known it all along. She ignored it, like everything else she didn't like.

That had been stupid.

_'It's not okay. Nothing about me is okay or good besides wanting protect those who matters to me. It's a miracle that people CAN still matter to me, because I'm awful.'_

The redhead smirked briefly.

_'Heh. I'm horrible... But surprisingly, I don't care.'_

Kurama grinned largely within his cage.

_'Shit... I just admitted I'm messed up but I... Kurama, I don't CARE...!'_

Naruto beamed, her bloodied teeth catching the sunlight as she chuckled to herself.

_'I feel so much lighter man!' _The redhead thought giddily. _'Those people who whispered about me as a brat, they were wrong. And they still are. I wasn't born a monster. I became one. And that's messed up. It's really messed up I turned out like this. But... it's who I am.'_

Naruto shook her head, spirits significantly lifted. It was strange, because she hadn't even realized she'd been down.

She smiled, more calmly now.

_'This is who I am...'_

She quickly made a decision, knowing herself well enough to know if she waited, she'd begin making excuses and over thinking things.

Naruto drew a seal in the gore saturating the grass. She channeled chakra into her fingertips, igniting them with blazing blue flames.

"**Fuuinjutsu Style: Coffin Summoning!**"

Naruto's smile nearly split her face as the red oakwood emerged from the bloody symbols.

The coffin clicked open, and Harime was utterly flabbergasted as Naruto darted at her, yanking her other half's head into her bosom.

The coffin dispersed within a poof of smoke.

Harime floundered as she was hugged by Naruto.

"I-is it not time to play...?" The cyclops asked uncertainly.

Horribly, Naruto had to smother away a snicker into Harime's hair.

Gathering herself, Naruto's lips turned down at their corners. She sighed into Harime's peppermint scented waves.

"Gomen-nasai."

The cyclops went rigid in Naruto's arms.

"Harime-chan... gomen-ne..." The redhead whispered.

Naruto held the cyclops tighter when she tried to pull away to look at her. It was probably an awkward position because they were the same height, and Harime's platform sandals made her _taller... _so... Yeah. But still.

She needed Harime to hear this.

They both needed this.

"I'm pretty messed up even without you in my head, and it took me until now to realize that." The redhead admitted. "And sadly, not without help."

The redhead could almost _feel _the cyclops' monumental shock. And it made her feel like a total jerk. It was really, and honestly surprising for Harime to witness Naruto being even remotely kind to her. Though... Who could blame her? Naruto had rejected her from the day of her creation.

_'I will fix this... because I'm the one who reduced us to pieces.'_

"Naru-"

"You've protected me... from... _everything_." Naruto said fiercely. "You kept me away from bloodshed because I was too weak to admit to what I was becoming. I didn't want to be close to you, but that was stupid. Because you're me. We're one in the same, and the truth is, I'm nothing without you. And I'm not saying that because I'm dying. I'm saying it because I need you. You're your own entity now, but I don't want you to go anywhere. I wanted to be apart of the light, because that's where all the people I care about are. But I learned that the darkness inside us both, is what makes us so badass."

Naruto laughed towards the end, ignoring the warm wetness seeping into the front of her jumpsuit.

Harime's arms lifted up, like a marionette on strings, and she crushed Naruto in her own embrace.

"So we're screwy?" Naruto continued. "Heh. We're murderers? We're monsters?"

Harime shivered, but Naruto realized she had began trembling with laughter.

The pigtailed redhead pulled away so they were face to face.

They both ignored the wet gleam in Harime's eye.

"So fucking what." Naruto finished. "We're ninja. It's in the job description. We just... take the darker parts of shinobi life more seriously."

"In that case, you are humbly forgiven!" Harime announced, grinning monstrously beneath her mask.

"Why thank you," Naruto bowed flamboyantly, standing up pretending to haughtily twist at an invisible fancy moustache. "I am very grateful my one eyed friend."

"You see Naru-chan, lifes no fun without games!" The cyclops giggled, dipping into a fluid curtsey.

"Yes... all kinds of games..." Naruto sniggered darkly. "I guess you're right about that, Harime-chan."

The pigtailed redhead took a few steps back, folding her clawed hands behind her back.

"So Naru, what's this about dying?"

The other redhead blinked.

Something clicked.

"Oh yeah, about that, sit down, we'll chat for a bit."

"'Kay!" The cyclops saluted.

Naruto plopped down, and leaned against the tree, holding in a wince as Harime squelched through her blood/flesh vomit, flopping down beside her original, only to rest the back of her head in Naruto's lap.

The one eyed girl smiled noticeably through her stitch patterned mask. Naruto peered down at Harime, returning the gesture with her eyes.

_'There is so many things wrong with this situation, I don't even know where to begin.' _She flatlined.

"Say Harime-chan, before I fill you in on recent events, what do you think of Danzo?"

"Danzo-sama?" The cyclops tapped her chin with one of her claws, pouting thoughtfully.

Suddenly, her eye crinkled at the corners deeply, in a distinctly sinister fashion.

"Well, he's nice and wrinkly." She recalled, tone innocent. "I think if I peeled him of skin, it'd make a nice kite."

"So in other words, you hate him." Naruto muttered bluntly.

"Yep!" Harime chirped. "After I make my super cool skin kite, I'd feed his skinless body to a trench of maggots and rats while he's still screaming. And then I'd watch him be devoured. Tehe~"

_'Nice image.' _Naruto thought blandly.

"Then why do you refer to him so respectfully?" The redhead questioned instead.

"We both know Danzo-sama would split either one of our heads like a melon if we spoke of him any other way."

Naruto's lip curled in distaste.

"Vivid." The redhead drawled.

Harime shrugged.

_'He's not even around. And he doesn't know we're separate now. **And** I disrespect that old fart all the time. Fuck his wrinkly old ass. Wait... Ew. Wait! Hold up... No...! That sounded completely wrong!'_

Naruto's face contorted in utter revulsion.

"He's hit you for disrespect before." Harime pointed out.

Que pregnant silence.

"Wait." The redhead bugged out suddenly. "You _remember!?"_

Miraculously, Harime had the decency to look sheepish.

"Y'know, I just realized I never told you I remembered your training and my creation all along."

"I'd kill you if I knew you'd stay dead." The redhead gritted.

"Nu-uuuh~ You love me Naru-chan~!"

Naruto scowled as Harime proceeded to make horrendously exaggerated kissy faces and smooch noises.

The redhead shoved her other half's head from her lap, causing her to yelp, and inevitably, stop her irksome theatrics.

Naruto grabbed the back of Harime's right pigtail, and fisted it.

"Hey~!" The cyclops whined. "Whaddyou think you're doin?"

Naruto shoved Harime's face in the blood vomit. The one eyed redhead flailed, attempting to blindly slit Naruto's throat, something she seemed quite fond of doing in her temper.

Done with her impromptu revenge, Naruto sat back against her tree, crossing her arms in satisfaction.

Harime sat up, and huffily wiped the muck from her face, wiping it away and into the grass.

"So anyways, I hate Danzo, you hate Danzo, I'm dying, which means you're dying, which means we need a solution, and Dazno happens to have hundreds of forbidden jutsu filed away in the underground. So... that means...?"

Harime's hand flashed, and her nails sliced through Naruto's neck, damn near decapitating her.

"Whoa! Sonofabitc-" Globules of red bubbling up her throat cut her off.

The cyclops licked her original's blood from her claws.

"Hehehehe~ It means we steal those files and betray him of course~"

Naruto choked on blood and profanities, sewing her wound closed with her bloodlimit, crimson spewing from her ruined throat.

Really, Harime should've foreseen having her neck snapped in retaliation.

_**CRACK!**_

"Naru-chan you're a meanie~" Harime complained, lying in the grass and staring up at Naruto. The thing was, her head was turned all the way around 360 degrees, and her neck looked like a piece of rope, bruised a livid combination of blue, violet, and red.

Naruto wiped blood from away from her mouth with her forearm, sneering momentarily at her other half before helping her up. Which meant she tactlessly snatched Harime up by one of her pigtails, and twisted her broken neck back around.

_**Crunch.**_

Harime whined as her head lolled around, and decided to flop to the left side at a grotesque and impossible angle, a spinal bone straining against her bruised skin.

Naruto stared at Harime and her beyond fucked up neck.

She burst into a fit of uproarious guffaws.

Soon, tears were streaming out of her eyes, and she clutched her stomach as it ached way more then it probably should have been.

"It's not funny!" Harime huffed, shooting Naruto a dirty look. But with her head nearly upside down, she only managed to look extremely stupid.

Naruto flopped onto her side and laughed so hard, her damaged stomach churned, and she began coughing up considerable amounts of blood.

"Oh shi-_BLERGH!"_

Now it was Harime's turn to laugh.

"Ha! See! That's what you get Naruto!" The cyclops taunted childishly.

"F-fuck y-yo-_BLERGH_!"

Haku, who had been collecting herbs nearby, slowly got up. The ice user backed away cautiously, telling himself over and over again that he hadn't seen any of it.

* * *

**-So Harime won't be falling apart like Naruto. They have different bodies. So... Naruto is the one with the decomposing mindscape because she's the original caster of the forbidden jutsu. But, if Naruto dies, Harime will too.**

**-Oh, and remember, the underground is beneath the red light district of Konoha. It's where Danzo trained Naruto. (For the record, she learned all her forbidden jutsu there, but her seals from her dad's study, also, created a lot of her own sealing techniques).**

**'Til next time.**


	15. In The Woods

**"trying to be oh so original" requested Naruto sing Medusa by Heather Dale. I like the lyrics and the message, but I don't really like how she sounded in that one. No offense. My favorite from her is Mordred's Lullaby. But why the hell not. It's in there.**

**First two lines of the song are:**

_**Mother would tell me I was a pretty girl,**_

_**then she would cry all night. **_

**I cut them out because Naruto never met her mother. Kushina is dead. Maybe I'm reading it too literally, but whatever. **

**The line after the third 'Damn 'em all' is:**

_**My garden's full of pretty men who couldn't stay away.**_

**I felt that line didn't suit my femNaruto. She's twelve guys. Even if she is crazy. -_-**

**I don't own Naruto, or the song. Enjoy.**

* * *

Haku watched in horror as the redhead snapped the neck of the other girl she'd summoned from a coffin, all the while bleeding profusely at the neck. The ice user, thoroughly disturbed, rose to his feet slowly, and began backing away, his chocolate brown eyes wide.

Originally, when the first redhead wearing an odd zipper mask stumbled into the clearing, Haku had moved to help her. He recognized her as the genin that had nearly killed his master, though, he still couldn't bring himself to harm her. Especially when she threw up what looked like _flesh, _and began staring off into space. The expressions changed periodically. Obviously, she was talking to someone who wasn't there, and was quite simply out of her entire mind. Though, for reasons unknown, Haku stayed, disgusted as she eventually seemed to begin playing in her vomit. But then, she summoned a coffin with a _live _person in it, and they both had a touching conversation to which Haku had no idea of the origin. Though, it sounded like they were both into some pretty evil shit. They sat down, teased each other a bit, and then the first redhead shoved her friend's face into her vomit.

And then, to the ice user's absolute abhorrence, the pigtailed one slit her friend's throat with her nails alone. But for some reason, the first redhead lived, and broke the eye patched one's neck.

The first redhead began laughing to the point she was spitting up her entrails, and the eye patched one began whining.

Haku always wanted to be a medical ninja, so he knew quite a bit about the human body.

Both of them should've been dead.

But they weren't, which means they were either one of two things.

Really lucky...

Or just plain monstrous.

Haku didn't stick around to find out.

He turned around to run back to the base and continue healing Zabuza-sama.

He nearly smacked into someone.

Reflexively, he was polite.

"Sumimasen, I wasn't looking w-"

"Going somewhere Popsicle-chan?"

Haku's blood froze. A curious oceanic eye was smiling _right_ at him.

His heart stuttered, and he turned around quickly.

_'I know that they were still in the clearing when I-'_

Now he faced two oceanic eyes.

"Oh, he definitely seems to be in a hurry, Harime-chan." This one said, hanging upside down with no interference at all, just floating easily in the air with aloofly lidded eyes.

"What should we do with him then, Naruto-chan?" Harime giggled from behind.

Haku shuddered, pulling his herb basket closer as if it could protect him.

"Hmmm, I dunno." Naruto muttered, tapping her chin, and righting herself in the air. "Whaddyou think Harime?"

_'Why are they talking about me like I'm not even here? And... and looking at me like a piece of __**meat**__?' _Haku thought.

Slowly, his right hand reached for the senbon hidden in his basket.

"Ooohh~ Lookie lookie Naru-chan! His skin is so smoothe~" Haku flinched as the pigtailed redhead took hold of his right arm.

The touch seemed innocent enough, but her sharp nails were positioned perfectly over one of the major veins in his wrist.

_'This one's good. I mustn't get distracted...' _

"It makes me want to cut him to **ribbons**." She finished darkly.

The ice user was surprised she could sound so menacing. And it shook him down to the bone.

"Now Harime-chan, why so quick to violence?" Naruto drawled chidingly, making her friend (whose neck was miraculously not broken, even if horrendously bruised), pout.

"You're no fun Naru-chan!" Harime huffed. "I thought you were finally beginning to see things my way~"

"Not everything has to end in a bloodbath Harime." The redhead deadpanned.

"Hmph!"

* * *

Haku had no idea how it had happened.

But somehow, the two eccentric redheads ended up helping him collect herbs, and he explained what all of them did and what they were called when he was asked.

Harime was helping the most, but she was quite noticeably sulking. Haku tried not to think about she was pouting because Naruto told her she couldn't cut him up.

Naruto and Harime probably looked exactly the same, but the redhead had pulled her mask up over her bloodied lips and chin to hide her face once more. He hadn't gotten a good look at her in the clearing, but he was sure she had markings on her face, and that she was quite pretty. Harime had a kanji shaped eyepatch over her left eye, representing the word sewing, and hiding what seemed to be the rest of a grotesque scar. She was very cheerful, even if you couldn't see her face behind her black cloth mask. It had white stitching across it, forming a large creepy smile. Haku repressed a shiver when Harime giggled at nothing in particular.

It suited her.

The ice user knew something wasn't right with the pigtailed redhead. There was something sinister hiding behind Harime's warm demeanor. She had displayed it already, wanting to kill him for no reason at all. Though, Naruto didn't even seem to notice how treacherous Harime was. Or, she just didn't care. Haku couldn't be sure. It was strange how Harime seemed so genial, yet, still managed to make one feel as if she was the most unkind and merciless person to ever exist.

_'I have to get out of here...'_

"Naru-chan you're not even helping!" Harime whined, tossing a bit of rosemary into Haku's basket.

Truthfully, the other redhead wasn't helping. She was floating two feet off the ground, strumming lazily away at her odd bass guitar, humming a grim little melody under her breath.

"Hmmm?" The redhead murmured frivolously.

She rolled over in the air, still plucking at the silver chords of her bass.

"Was I supposed to be helping?"

"You're the one who _suggested_ we help Popsicle-chan!" Harime complained.

"Oh yeah." Naruto muttered.

Harime's cheeks puffed indignantly beneath her mask.

"Naruto~!" She complained.

"Ah, gomen-ne... Shinobi-san..." The ice user spoke up, making the one eyed teen cut him with a look. He shivered involuntarily. Haku swallowed carefully.

"Um, why do you keep calling me a popsicle?"

The corner of Harime's eye creased as she smiled noticeably through her mask.

"Naru-chan and I know a bit about chakra you see." Harime said easily. "We can sense people's chakra if we're looking for it. And yours is very cold. But not in a mean way," The pigtailed teen waved off.

Haku was already on high alert. The one eyed teen's observations was slowly making him nervous.

"You're cold in a subtle sweet way. Like soft fresh snow, or a popsicle on a hot day. I can tell you are very kind, and don't like hurting others."

Haku tensed as her eye sharpened with a frightening amount of perception.

"Your nature affinity is water, but something in you makes ice. Hmmm... A bloodlimit maybe?"

Haku couldn't help but feel as if Harime referring to his qualities as insults. She spoke in an easy way, but something about her just screamed she thought he was pathetic. That he was worthless because he didn't like to harm others...

"Yep, a bloodlimit." Naruto confirmed absently, not picking up on Harime's insincerity. "He's an ice user. They were kind of a big deal in Mist before the Mizukage went bonkers. The Yuki clan... I read about them while studying with the cripple..."

_'Oh my... they gathered all that just by sensing my chakra? I must return to base and warn Zabuza-sama of these two... they're dangerous!'_

"In case you were wondering how we know you've got a sword under that girlie getup," Naruto gestured lazily to the lower half of Haku's pink kimono, making him flush slightly at her vulgar words. "We can smell you."

Haku's brown eyes widened slightly.

"Yes, we can smell your skin's scent. But we specialize in something more specific..." Harime laughed.

"Specifically, your blood." She continued, taking pleasure in the ice user's developing horror. "Our noses are specially attuned to the scent of blood. Hehehehe~ Whether it's inside a body, or out."

Haku didn't like the gleam in the pigtailed redhead's eye when she said '_out_'.

"Sure, your scent is softer than a lot of dudes I've encountered, but it's still male." Naruto finished blandly.

Haku repressed the urge to wrinkle his nose when the floating redhead pulled a cigarette from the beige pouch around her hips.

"Oh tobacco, how I've missed you..." she murmured creepily, lighting the object of her disgusting habit with an unknown fire jutsu.

_'A fire affinity perhaps? I will inform Zabuza-sama...'_

Naruto unzipped her mask, revealing nothing, as the lower half of her face was still engulfed in shadows. She stuck the cigarette between her hidden lips, and her eyelids sagged even more, smoke wafting up into the air.

"So, how's Zabuza?" Harime asked suddenly.

The original redhead and the ice user stiffened.

Haku shot up and vaulted himself back, large senbon in each of his hands, positioned in reverse grips.

He summoned his chakra, pushing it out to gauge both of the redheads' chakra.

His stomach dropped at the sheer amount of their chakra. Alone it was behemoth. But the ice user didn't want to think of the power a person could have with the two redheads' chakra combined.

It was like a resting beast. Calm at the moment, but if you put one _toe_ out of line, it would awaken and rip you to utter shreds. Or perhaps a slasher. Looming over you from behind, and waiting for you to turn around so they could watch your expression as they murdered you.

Haku shivered.

_'Even alone... They have more chakra then my master and myself combined! They're... they're monsters...!'_

"How do you know about him?" Naruto asked, setting her guitar aside against a tree, and floated upright to place her feet on the grass.

Haku deflated when the eye patched girl's attention turned entirely to Naruto. Which means her back was completely facing him.

The ice user's jaw dropped.

"You see Naru-chan, I've got this neat trick, see?" Harime sang, placing a hand over her only eye, and pulling up her eyepatch.

Haku couldn't see anything, but judging by the way Naruto's nose scrunched beneath her mask, it wasn't pretty.

"What the hell happened to your stitches?" The redhead demanded, snatching her death stick from between her lips.

"I took them out because when I tried to blink, it hurt!" Harime pouted.

_'Wait... wait a minute...!' _The ice user thought.

"You're not _supposed_ to blink you dunce!" Naruto exclaimed. "You don't even have a goddamn eye, _why_ in the name of Gumo's Lair would you need to blink!?"

_'They're ignoring me!?' _Haku inwardly raged.

"Hmmm?" Harime thought for a second, before she suddenly snapped her fingers in a distinctly_, 'I've got it'_ fashion. Harime deflated "I dunno." She admitted innocently.

"Gah!" Naruto threw her hands up.

_'These two are... infuriating.' _Haku deadpanned.

"So anyways, the trick?" Naruto muttered, sliding an irritated hand down her masked face.

"Oh yeah!" Harime covered her only eye again. "When I do this, and my hole is uncovered, I see everything from your eyes."

"What." The redhead said intelligently.

"When you lock me in the coffin, I always do this 'cause there's nothin' better to do, and I get mad because you're always having so much fun without me."

_'She locks her in that coffin!? What in the name of Kami is she anyways? Why wasn't she with the other genin? And why does her chakra feel identical to Naruto's?'_

"Why did you never say anything?" Naruto flatlined, blowing out a plume of white.

"It never came up." Harime shrugged, fixing her eyepatch back in place.

Haku cleared his throat. Loudly.

The redhead's looked at him in unison.

"Oh, I forgot you were there." Naruto muttered, taking a long drag from her cigarette.

Haku's cheeks flushed with fury.

_'How... how RUDE...!'_

"There's no way he's not Zabuza's toy." Harime said, drawing attention to herself. "Remember Naru-chan? I made the demon brother sing for you. He told us both about Zabuza."

"Oh yeah..." Naruto said slowly, stroking her masked chin, her cigarette wagging as she spoke. "I forgot I summoned you for that. Sorry."

_'So she was summoned... but what does that make her?' _Haku wondered. '_I mustn't let them anger me... I need to stay focused!'_

"Why are you sorry? That was so much fun!" Harime squealed. "I got two new toys to play with~"

_'One of the demon brothers told them about Zabuza-sama? Those two went missing a while back... no wonder they all seemed so prepared for Zabuza-sama's ambush...'_

"Well, I think it's cool that you didn't try to kill me when I was puking my guts out. So, Harime-chan and I will turn a blind eye as you leave."

Haku's brown eyes were wide as saucers. He looked at Naruto, but he was still worried about Harime. She seemed cheerful enough, but Haku could sense how foul her chakra was at the thought of letting him go.

_'How can she have the exact same imposing presence as Naruto, but still manage to be so much more... unpleasant?'_

"Y-you're j-just letting me go?" The ice user asked instead.

"I don't like to owe favors." Naruto shrugged, exhaling another jet of smoke.

_'I know we're shinobi... but she's younger than me. Why is she so comfortable smoking like that!?'_

"I knew you were there the whole time, but I was preoccupied with something else." Naruto drawled, bringing him back from his peeved thoughts.

_'So basically, you deemed me harmless and ignored me entirely.' _Haku translated flatly.

"Thanks for not trying to kill me and stuff." Naruto said, tossing her cigarette to the grass, and stomping it out.

"Ah, um... you're welcome...?" Haku offered awkwardly.

"Awww Naru-chan~" Harime began whining. "Can't I play with him? Can't I?"

"Sure," Naruto grunted. "But when that nice piece of meat Zabuza is around too. And it'll be a while before that time comes."

Harime began sulking again, crossing her arms huffily.

"You're no fun!"

_'I can't believe she's actually letting me go! I'm getting out of here... these two are complete freaks!'_

The ice user bowed in gratitude.

"My name is Haku." The brown eyed boy said. "I happily await the day we meet again, Naruto-san."

_'Surprisingly, I don't feel even slightly bad for telling such a huge lie...'_

The ice user retrieved his herb basket, and shunshined from sight.

* * *

Naruto drifted through the forest, high above the trees, facing the sky and singing quietly to herself.

_Nobody thinks that really they're being cruel_

_when they suggest that I should try to look like them, _

_as if God loved the pretty one's best._

Blue-green eyes watched the sunset, and a pink-orange glow began bleeding into the sky, golden rays stretching across the horizon.

_Damn 'em all- I create my own perfection! _

_Damn 'em all in the face of their rejection! _

_Damn 'em all- well this dog will have its day! _

Naruto's brows furrowed slightly, her glittering black nails trailing expertly across her bass' silver chords.

_Notice the ones who all like to criticize, _

_are the ones trying to hide._

_Why would I sell my soul to be one of them?_

_Better to love the me within, behind the skin;_

_I choose to be a goddess inside._

Nearing Tazuna's residence, she smoothly maneuvered in the air, slipping down until her feet touched the ground.

_Damn 'em all- I create my own perfection! _

_Damn 'em all in the face of their rejection! _

_Damn 'em all- well this dog will have its day!_

Naruto smiled bitterly beneath her mask as she finished singing, sealing her guitar inside her upper back.

_'No matter what I do, all the songs I sing have extremely depressing undertones.'_

Harime had summoned her own coffin, and Naruto returned her back to the village hidden in the leaves until further notice.

Naruto neared Tazuna's run down, yet well loved house.

The redhead let herself into the rickety front door, walking in on a teary eyed little boy wearing a fisherman's hat blowing up at her team, with the addition of Shisui and her two clones.

"-you guys piss me off so much! Walking around like you know us, or what the people of our home has been through!" The boy screamed, his chair knocked over behind him.

He ignored his mother, who had futilely began reprimanding him.

"None of you guys know what it really means to suffer! You're all weak! So Gato's just going to kill you! And it'll be what you get if you don't go home and mind your own business!"

"Umm... Can anyone say awkward?"

All of the attention in the room turned to the original redhead.

"Boss!" Her clones called.

Presumably Tsunami gawked between the three redheads.

"I know you said you were only clones but... it's quite strange to see the same person walking around in three places at once..."

Naruto shrugged.

She turned to the fuming kid, who still looked one second away from blowing a gasket.

"Listen kid, I just got here. I just learned something really fucked up-"

"Naruto!" Sakura squawked.

"-and I have no idea what you've been through, or what kind of messed up shit you've seen." She continued, not missing a beat. "But you seriously shouldn't assume you or the people of your village are the only one's who've suffered before. And I'm going to tell you right now, crying will never do you any good. It makes the monsters you're so afraid of enjoy eating you up all the more."

Sakura shot to her feet, opening her mouth to argue with her.

Naruto flashed her devil's eyes at her, making her flinch, and immediately sit back down.

"Inari was it?" Naruto didn't wait for a response. "I'm the real Naruto. Those two are my clones. But anyways, you should dry your eyes. Spineless brats are always the first to die."

"Hey." Shisui finally intervened. "Naruto, that's enough."

"Whatever." Naruto dismissed. "If he caught me at eight, I'd probably have blown up at him and made fun of him for being a crybaby. But now? Heh. I'm not even angry. I can see he's just hurt."

Sasuke, who was noticeably irritated by Inari's outburst, looked at the child again. He would never admit to being ashamed about not noticing the boy's sadness, and giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Naruto approached the wide eyed boy, and placed a hand atop his head.

Speechless, the child just gawped up at her.

"I know you're just a kid." Naruto murmured. "But you need to realize fast that we live in a wicked world. And no one in it has ever, or ever will be, spared of suffering."

Shisui crossed his arms, and smiled, shaking his head slightly.

_'She probably hasn't realized it, but she can have a way with words when she wants to.' _The Uchiha chuckled.

Kakashi eye smiled.

_'It would seem Naruto's few morals keep her from harming children in any fashion.' _The scarecrow thought proudly.

Tazuna appreciated Naruto setting his grandson straight without completely ripping him a new one.

He knew from personal experience that Naruto could be a real horror.

The old drunk shuddered, remembering having blood wiped down the side of his face.

On a more serious note, Tazuna watched Naruto's eyes crease, and cheekbones raise with an honest smile as she patted his grandson's head, before disappearing upstairs.

Inari clenched his little fists at his sides, his lower lip trembling uncontrollably.

"Think about what I said kid, alright?" She called over her shoulder.

_'The way you speak of suffering girl, makes me think you know it more closely than any of us are aware of...'_

* * *

**Two Hours Later**

* * *

Naruto sat atop Tazuna's roof once more, peacefully stargazing and enjoying a cigarette, her mask resting around her neck.

She rolled her eyes as the lit stick was plucked from her lips, stubbed out, and tossed into the darkness behind her.

"I wasn't done with that, Shisui."

Her partner chuckled, his equivalent of 'I don't give a fuck'. He settled himself beside the redhead, and allowed his own eyes to escape to the starlit cloak above.

"What do you see?" He murmured.

Naruto snorted.

"Stars."

Shisui laughed quietly.

"You always ruin my attempts at deep moments, Naruto."

"We don't need them you dork." Naruto muttered, looking over at him so he could see her grin.

She wasn't surprised to find him grinning too.

"So Mr. 'I was chosen as backup', how did Sasuke-teme react to seeing you?"

Shisui rolled his eyes.

"He immediately assumed Mikoto-san or Itachi sent me to protect him. You can imagine how excited he was with that assumption."

Naruto snickered.

"You told him Kakashi-sensei sent my blood clone back to the village to update the Hokage, right?"

"You know I did." Shisui said flatly.

"Hm." Naruto shrugged, looking back at the stars.

A companionable silence filled the air between the two partners.

A few minutes later, Shisui ruffled Naruto's hair slightly.

"You did pretty good calming Inari down, Naruto."

The redhead pursed her lips.

"I'm surprised you're not nagging me about being brutal."

"You were pretty brutal." The Uchiha admitted. "But it was necessary. I'm sure you successfully taught him something he was going to have to learn soon. Though, I can't say that mouth of yours was necessary."

"I'm glad I got to teach something today." The redhead grumbled, ignoring the disapproving jab at her profanity towards the end. "I've been learning messed up shit left and right since this morning."

Shisui slung one of his arms around her shoulders, and pulled her in a half hug.

"You'll find a way to fix it." He said resolutely.

Naruto wasn't sure if he was assuring himself, her, or them both.

Nevertheless, she appreciated it.

"So, what did Kakashi-sensei have the genin doing after Tazuna was done with the bridge for the day?"

"Practicing tree climbing and water walking." Was the dry reply.

"Ew." Naruto muttered. "How boring."

Shisui scoffed.

Kindly, he pulled her mask back over her face as Sakura poked her head out from the window below them.

"Naruto, it's your turn to shower." She called up.

"Thanks forehead!" Naruto returned cheerfully.

"Why you-!"

Both ROOT nin sniggered to themselves as the pinkette descended into rage.

For now, they could relax slightly.

Zabuza and Haku were problems they could worry about later.

Wait.

_'Fuck...!'_

Naruto's eyes bulged.

She hadn't told anyone about Haku!

Shisui looked at her in bewilderment as he felt her sag beside him.

"Naruto...?"

"I am so not looking forward to explaining a bunch of bullshit..." She mumbled.

Shisui wondered if he should be worried when Naruto began chortling darkly to herself.

Heh.

That's what clones were for.

* * *

**-In case for some reason you didn't know or remember, Mikoto is Sasuke and Itachi's mother.**

**-Remember, all the Uchiha lived. Minato only approved Danzo to kill off those responsible for planning the coup d'etat. Which, in my story, was the Uchiha elders and the clan head, Fugaku. **

**-Itachi is still a member of ANBU. He's not around much, so he can't keep Sasuke's douche meter down.**

**-Ehhh!? What does Haku see in Harime that Naruto can't? And is he the only one, should someone else meet Harime, that can see it?**

**Hmmmm... Kamui-chan wonders...**

**'Til next time. **


	16. Harime

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy.**

***scratches back of head guiltily***

**On second thought... I don't think you guys will like this one too much...**

* * *

Harime's eye snapped open as she felt her coffin return to it's place of summons. Naruto was returning to Tazuna's house in a mellow mood. Nothing was amiss. So, Naruto had no reason to summon Harime's coffin back to her.

Smirking, the cyclops bit her thumb, and drew a seal on the silk exterior of the coffin lid before her. With her clawed fingers glowing blue, she pressed them over the lit up runes. Her seal fought against the ones Naruto had placed to keep her inside.

Knowing exactly the seals Naruto used to lock her up, Harime could counter them perfectly.

The cyclop's seal won.

The coffin clicked open, and Harime climbed out of her resting place, leaving it open for when she inevitably had to return.

Naruto designed the seals on Harime's coffin so when it was summoned, it would unlock automatically, and be standing upright, so Harime could immediately assist her in whatever the cyclops had been summoned for.

Sure, Harime was obedient to her original. But to an extent. Of course she would never betray Naruto. Seriously though, what made the original redhead think that if she was a seal master, and Harime being her other half, that seals could keep her contained?

Pfft.

Naruto was far from stupid, but she really needed to see Harime wasn't as one dimensional as she assumed.

She was not as complex as Naruto could be, but the cyclops wasn't simple either. She was not a puppet. Nor a doll to order around. She had a will of her own, and many, _many_ faces.

The pigtailed redhead glanced at the identical coffin lying next to her own.

"Sleep tight Gumo-chan, Naru-chan and I will have a snack for you really soon." She promised.

Harime walked with an easy amount of lethargy to the steel bolted door of the stone room the two coffins were in.

She undid the seals there, and let herself out, pushing the door closed again behind her. That door had seals designed to keep people _out_, not to keep people in. Getting out of the room was easier then her coffin. But that wasn't saying much, because the first time Harime escaped from her coffin, it had taken her _weeks_ to unravel Naruto's seals. It was even harder to wrap her own coffin in chakra chains. As the technique was Kushina's, and Naruto was quite admittedly not proficient with it. Harime had been so frustrated, she'd given herself the scar on the left side of her face in blind rage.

Shaking her head, Harime strolled through the halls of the underground with familiarity, making her way to a specific door hidden within the labyrinth-like passages. The underground was pretty much Naruto's property/personal training grounds. It used to be the main ROOT training grounds, but Danzo had been so pleased with Naruto's field performance, he had given it to as a twisted sort of birthday present when she turned nine.

Danzo was a creep like that.

Giving a child a place to keep where she had continuously been tortured, and even driven to insanity.

Harime's lip curled into a hidden snarl.

_'You'll get yours Danzo. I swear you will...'_

The cyclops finally reached the door she seeked, and unlocked it easily, letting herself in and kicking it closed after herself.

This room's walls were lined with ceiling high bookshelves. Shelves that were filled to the brim with scrolls and large tomes.

Even though Danzo hadn't set foot into the underground since he finished Naruto's training, he still stored all of his things within the facility. Things that he had acquired illegally.

Including all the forbidden jutsu he had collected over the years. Most of them were stolen.

Harime chuckled.

Actually, all of them were stolen.

From enemy shinobi, and even copied from the Hokage's personal library during the Third's reign.

Hell, the cripple even had scrolls on Konoha's major shinobi clan jutsu.

If Naruto wanted, she could learn all the secrets behind the clans' jutsu.

She would never admit it, but Naruto's pride kept her from such underhanded means.

Harime, despite being a part of the Jinchuuriki, had no such qualms.

She was a part of Naruto that had no regard for honor or morals.

Harime only cared for one thing.

Naruto's survival.

The cyclops bit her thumb again, reopening the fresh scab, and smeared a thin line of blood down her left arm, the seal drawn in invisible ink there beginning to glow brilliantly. The pigtailed redhead pulled a parasol from the activated array of seals on her arm.

She had created it when Naruto was still unconscious from creating her body.

The parasol was crafted elegantly of white chakra conducting metal, carved to looked like two human femur bones, the grip a small milky white skull with shimmering ruby eyes. The protective part of the parasol was made of rose patterned black lace, kept together with white framework that looked like the spindly bones of an outstretched human hand. Inside the parasol was neat, intricate, and deliberate stitching. The same seals Naruto tattooed into her skin that enabled her to fly. Harime knew Naruto had meant to get around to giving her her own flying seals, but with everything that had been going on, she never had the time. And with Naruto literally having received her expiration date, making seals so Harime could fly would be the farthest thing on the top of her to do list. Harime could've just made her own blood clones and tattooed herself, but then she would have to explain to Naruto that she'd gotten out of her coffin to do them.

Harime would rather take a more subtle approach.

Thus, invisible containment seal for her parasol.

Plus, the accessory was just more Harime's style then tattoos anyways.

The cyclops pumped her parasol full of wind chakra, making the rose patterns of the black lace swirl with glowing azure blue.

She released the accessory, though, it still floated in the air, as high as her waist.

The cyclops seated herself along the length of het closed parasols, controlling the seals so that they carried her higher to reach the shelves.

Her clawed pointer finger trailed along an assortment of dusty scrolls, blue-green eye sharp.

"Lets see... 'N'... I need... Aha! The Nara clan."

Harime's mouth stretched into a large cheshire grin.

"No hard feelings Nara clan, but if my plan is to succeed, I need to be able to play with the shadows too..."

Chuckling to herself, Harime pulled out the old scroll, and opened it, kicking her feet back and forth as she floated with childish glee.

"My new game starts now~"

* * *

An entire day later, Harime used her ROOT training to get to Naruto's house undetected, and clean herself up. She retied her pigtails, and tilted her orange bow at a perfect angle. Fluffing up the skirt of her lace lolita dress, the cyclops twirled around, examining herself in Naruto's bathroom mirror.

Her eye narrowed when she heard someone letting themself into the front door.

She locked the bathroom door just in case, realizing it was just Naruto's pet Konohamaru.

The child knew not to use this bathroom, so Harime knew she was home free.

The cyclops grinned sharply beneath her stitched mask, her shadow snaking up around her ankles, before swallowing her completely.

Harime sank into the floor, her body departiclizing, and traveling on an entirely new plane of existence.

* * *

Minato's hand flowed across his paperwork, creating beautiful calligraphy along the document. Solemn faced, the blonde man paused in his work, and setting his pen down quietly.

"Why don't you show yourself already." The Fourth stated, folding his hands in his lap as he sat back easily in his worn chair.

He wasn't shaken by the eerie giggle that resounded off his office walls.

"You must know there are ANBU positioned at every point outside of this office." Once again, the Fourth's voice was bland, and he stated everything with an unshakable certainty.

Minato felt a dark presence slide over him from behind, and he felt the warmth of someone as they loomed over him, practically touching him.

In an instant, he was facing them, taking hold of their throat in a crushing grip, before facing his desk again, and slamming them atop it.

The blonde man scowled at the intruder, three pronged kunai positioned to spill their guts if they so much as _blinked_ at him wrong.

Blue eyes widened down at his daughter's masked face.

"Na-"

No.

Naruto had cut her hair. Minato had seen it. And as far as he was concerned, his daughter had two functioning eyes. Even more alarming... This person had no seals anywhere on them. But at the same time... there was no mistaking that was Naruto's chakra. And her hair had been that long before she'd cut it...

This made no sense. Naruto was on a mission with her team. He had even sent Shisui after them after her clone arrived with worrying news. The mission was actually A ranked.

_'Naruto is in Wave. So what the hell am I looking at?'_

Proving his name was well selected, Minato's hand flashed with lightning speed, and he ripped the mask from the intruder's face, discarding it over his shoulder.

Those whiskers...

"Who the hell are you?" The Fourth demanded.

The intruder smirked at him with his daughter's lips. But the smirk turned into a grin, and the Fourth forced himself not to flinch at the monstrous set of teeth that gleamed up at him.

"I put your ANBU to bed. So it's just you and me." The intruder giggled.

Minato scowled.

"You killed my-"

"I said I put them to bed. I never said they were dead~" The intruder sang.

A sleeping jutsu then.

"Hehehehe~"

Minato felt his skin crawl.

Those teeth had no business in Naruto's mouth. And that deceitful look should not be staining her face.

"Who are you?" Minato asked again, pressing his kunai further into the intruder's gut.

"I was never supposed to have a name, nor was I supposed to breathe." She said cryptically. "So I just use her code name. My Naruto-chan calls me Harime."

At the sound of his daughter's name, Minato squeezed the intruder's throat harder.

Her whiskered cheeks flushed as oxygen was stolen from her lungs.

Minato's blue eyes narrowed perceptively.

"I'll change that then. _What_ are you." The Fourth glared. Someone lesser would have wet themselves, having such a man train such a menacing look upon them.

Though, this... _thing_ was entirely unmoved.

"And tell me why I should allow you to keep your head attached to your shoulders for coming in here unauthorized."

The newly dubbed Harime lost all expression. Naruto's eye became cold, and her lips pursed grimly.

"My, that's a good question. _What_ is Harime? What _is_ she?" She mused flatly.

Minato was unsettled. That was certainly his daughter's voice. He hadn't recognized it at first, as Harime seemed fond of using a childish lilt. But the drawl she spoke in now was all Naruto.

"Stop it. Don't wear her face like that." The Fourth ordered, squeezing her neck harder.

Harime's face took on a purple tinge.

"You can try to kill me. But you won't. You can even chop me to pieces and I still won't die." The cyclops informed him aloofly, as if she wasn't being strangled.

_'How is she unaffected? This situation is... I... I don't know what to think, actually...'_

Minato eased his grip slightly, allowing her to breathe, but it was still tight enough so he'd be able to test her immortal theory if he so pleased. He tried not to dwell on the complete disregard of death being spoken in his daughter's voice.

"I won't ask again." The Fourth said, blue eyes furious silts.

"Well, I didn't come here to give my life story, but if you _really_ want to know, fine."

Minato scowled when Harime began smiling again. But... it was _off_. Given, something about Harime in general was wrong, but her smile... it wasn't saturated in false cheer anymore.

This was a being that thrived on darkness. Her razor grin was wide, and full of uncontained spite.

As she began to speak again, she sounded just like his Naruto. But Naruto on her worst day. Naruto full of hatred he did nothing to protect her from.

"You _should_ know me. Can't you tell just by looking at me?"

Minato felt something in his chest splinter deeply with guilt, and shame.

_'Why though? This isn't Naruto... it can't be... she's not even in the village...' _Minato thought helplessly. _'It's just her face... something or someone twisted wearing her face...'_

Minato couldn't shake his uncertainty though. And it scared him down to his very being.

"I suppose you wouldn't know me. You barely know Naruto at all." The cyclops shrugged.

Minato's stomach twisted in knots at the truth behind that statement.

_'How? How could she know Naruto and my relationship is strained? The way she looks at me with that eye... She knows... She knows Naruto is my daughter...'_

He felt the beginnings of fear festering within him as the intruder continued to speak in his child's voice.

"I am everything unsavory about Naruto. She thinks she has figured out what kind of person she is. That she has truly accepted herself. But that's not true. She's getting there. She's close. But not there yet. She once gave me a label... her childhood cruelty. Just a crazy kid. She wasn't wrong, but she wasn't entirely right either."

"What..." Minato swallowed hard. "What are you saying?"

"My my," Harime drawled darkly. "So uncertain now? The Fourth who's so strong and leads with an iron fist?"

The Fourth shook his head. She was playing with him. He couldn't let her get into his head. He was the Hokage damnit. That title wasn't just for show.

"I want to know what you are Harime. What is your connection to my daughter? And don't think just because you can't die, that there is no way for me to make you suffer."

"Hoh~" Harime mocked. "So scary~"

"This is not a game." The Fourth growled. "Speak."

"Dereast Fourth... _Everything_ is a game." Harime chuckled hollowly. "Even lives are games. Humans are dolls to Kami, assigned names and roles from the beginning. Their personalities, sins, family, and fears are given to them before they're even coherent. All in the name of one big game called life."

_'She's insane... She doesn't see herself as human... But... I don't have time for this damnit!'_

"Why the fuck do you look so much like Naruto!?" Minato finally snapped.

"Fool!" She spat, her lip curling with absolute loathing. "I _am_ your daughter! I'm what she became because you never tried to protect her. I'm who she is because you let Danzo fuck her up!"

Minato held in a gasp. His furious azure blues widened, and he found himself releasing Harime's throat. His heart thundered in his chest, and he clamped down on the diseased panic that threatened to muddle his brain and judgment.

"Naruto couldn't _stand_ what she was becoming. So she split her soul in two. And now? Heh~ Here I am. Quite literally her dark other half."

_'Oh Kami... Kami... my baby... what... Naruto... what have you __**done**__? No... What have __**I**__ done?'_

Harime smoothly pulled herself up, seated on Minato's desk, crossing one of her legs over the other, before she began examining her black painted claws.

"I will tell you now, I didn't come here for this." The cyclops looked back up, and trained a blistering glare at the horrified blonde man. "I came to ask you a simple question. But, my nature has me amused by the agony you are so obviously in, so I will continue to tell you what I am. And how exactly I was conceived."

The cyclops' glare was pulled into a malicious smile.

Minato had to sit back down in his chair, because he couldn't _bare_ to see such a disgusting parody of his child _enjoying_ hurting him, while standing up.

"Every person on this earth has the capacity to do evil. It is only a matter of circumstance, that causes that evil to surface. Naruto is very jaded and dark, yes, but she is also a shinobi. She was forced to grow up even younger than she is now, that is why she turned out the way she is. She is unmoved by carnage, and sometimes the suffering of others. But at the same time, she has things she would sacrifice everything to protect. She conflicts with herself, and the things she has done, thinking herself to be evil when she can find no other explanation."

Minato forced himself to pay attention, and not be consumed by his guilt.

He hadn't watched her closely enough.

His child had felt _so _lost, she ripped herself in two. Minato knew what that meant. Naruto hadn't come to him.

She didn't trust him.

And why would she?

When had he ever showed he cared?

The Fourth's heart wilted.

Only years of discipline and training kept him from openly weeping.

"But if she was truly evil, would she feel guilty for the bad things she does?" Harime continued indifferently.

"Would she be kind to someone she's never met, because she saw the sadness inside them barely kept at bay? Of course not. She has always felt that hatred was pointless, yet, there is someone on this planet that she hates more than anything most disgusting in this world. She cannot understand that, so she tells herself she is evil."

_'No... No Naruto... NO! You're **not** evil... You're not... You're hurt. I hurt you... I **knew** I was hurting you, yet I still... damnit... I even let others hurt you... I should have tried harder to protect you...'_

"She tells herself she is okay with it, and she smiles, but my side of our soul feels her despair at such a realization. And it's wrong. That realization was wrong. Naruto is not evil, but she has evil in her. She is human. And every human has the capacity to do evil. Some are truly evil, yes. But Naruto? Heh. She is not. She's not a monster, but she has done monstrous things."

Harime shrugged again.

Minato clenched his fist as Harime smiled again, her ill will prominent within her blue green eye.

"I am evil. I'm evil because I'm that part of Naruto. The part with the ability to do evil. I don't feel guilt. I don't _want_ understand compassion. I don't have morals, and I don't care. I am the embodiment of Naruto's darkness. I am her insanity, her cruelty, her lies, and her hatred."

_'And I did nothing to keep that hatred from Naruto's heart...'_

"I love Naruto more than anything else in this world. I want to protect her. And I don't care who or what I destroy to achieve that." Harime leveled the Fourth with a resolute look.

She didn't care who she hurt. As long as Naruto was okay... Harime was happy. She had no qualms against admitting that.

The Fourth's dark blonde brows furrowed in doubt.

_'Love? But if you are her darkness...'_

"Don't be confused though." Harime rebutted carelessly. "My desire to protect Naruto is not good. That is also something I feel and do that is a sin. My desire to protect Naruto is simply her selfishness. The part of herself that cares only for itself... My desire to protect her... it is... her love for herself."

_'Oh Naruto...' _The Fourth thought miserably. _'You created her to protect yourself, didn't you? Because you felt that no one loved you... so you made someone to do it...'_

"I was never meant to have a soul. I am the part of Naruto's humanity that is wrong. I'm, quite simply, her flaws. All of her flaws that make her human given a face and a personality. Danzo's meddling warped me even more, to the point where I can barely contain my hatred. He drove my half absolutely mad. And I realize that."

_'Danzo you slime... as if I didn't have enough reason to want your head... you crushed my child. And for that... I will crush you.'_

"I hate everything."

Minato's pulse stopped for several seconds at that declaration.

He knew he deserved it... But it still tore his heart wide open. To hear his daughter's voice stating her hatred for everything so unblinkingly... He had not felt such deep, soul shattering despair since Kushina's death.

_"But I deserve it... I deserve this unbearable pain...'_

"I want to destroy everything. I want everyone to suffer as much as Naruto has. Then everyone will be a monster, and they won't have the audacity to judge her anymore. I realize that in itself is evil. I know that. I simply don't care."

Minato struggled to keep his expression from crumbling along with his heart. He struggled to breathe normally under the wave of anguish that threatened to dround him.

"I never had any desire to protect this village. But Naruto did. She always wanted to be just like you, and hated herself when she saw my qualities surfacing within her." Harime suddenly frowned, as if she could not fathom why. "Even to this day, she forces herself not to shed tears when you ignore her. She focusses on missions to distract herself from her ever-growing depression. Even now, in Wave, she's hurting. Because... Naruto loves you."

Had the Fourth not been sitting, he would have fallen to his knees.

"Only killing others who had killed before, was how I kept guilt from completely consuming her." Harime shook her head, effectively ridding herself of her bafflement. "I could never deny her anything, so I never failed a mission. She took pride in that. Protecting the village her mother died for with all of her power. Naruto's satisfaction was all I needed."

Minato managed to make himself not recoil at the frighteningly serious expression on Harime's face.

"My purpose continues to be fulfilled. I will always do what is in Naruto's best interests."

_'Naruto's best interests... You're... right. You're right... Her well being is what's important...'_

The Fourth pulled himself together, pushing his despondency away so he could function properly.

"Why did you obey Danzo for so long if you so obviously hate him?" Minato finally asked.

Harime scoffed bitterly.

"I obeyed Danzo to the letter, but not out of respect. I will admit, part of Naruto's half respects and obeys him for his resolve to defend this village at all costs. But I did it to keep his filthy hands from Naruto." Harime suddenly snarled like a wild animal, a manic gleam appearing in her single eye. "And now that Naruto and I have become powerful enough to oppose him, I will crush him."

Minato pursed his lips.

He didn't know what to feel now. Now that he had somewhat cleared his head...

He looked deeply into that familiar oceanic eye.

This wasn't his daughter, but at the same time, it _was_ his daughter...

_'Naruto... my precious baby girl...'_

He came to a decision.

Harime began speaking again before he could act on it.

"It's a good thing Danzo trained Naruto in deception." Harime stated. "Otherwise, the face I like to wear would be completely transparent. I'll admit, sometimes my facade does crumble, and my true colors bleed through, but Naruto just thinks it's because I have a temper. It's not completely wrong, people can force my temper from me, but that also brings forth what I really am. And that, is Naruto's darkness."

Harime suddenly giggled behind her hand, her face lighting up, but her eye was still the most chilling abyss Minato had ever seen.

"Pretty neat huh?" She smiled cordially.

Her eye too, lit up, and she looked honestly benevolent.

Minato could see how even Naruto would not see past that smile.

"So I will ask you this now, Minato Namikaze." Harime chirped, contradicting the intelligent way of her articulation. "Tell me your intentions towards Naruto. Because despite who you are, I hate you no less than anyone else."

Minato's heart was struck. Hearing those words from his daughter's mouth... that face... it had it's differences, but that was still his Naruto's face.

"I will have to give up this body and return my half of Naruto's soul. But with the hatred I have now, for everything, if I don't know the truth, Naruto will feel you never cared for her. And my hatred will be justified. She will grow hate you. If I merge with Naruto unsure of how you feel about her, she will hate you."

This gave the Fourth the perfect chance to act upon his previous revelation.

He sprang out of his chair, ignoring the bulging of that deceptive oceanic eye, and wrapped his arms around the person it belonged to.

Minato buried his nose in thick, peppermint scented waves.

"I can't speak for all fathers, because I'm _your_ father. So I'm telling you now. Harime is a label given to you by Danzo. I gave you the name Naruto. So that is your name."

Minato smiled into her hair when he felt her tense in his embrace.

All of his feelings came spilling out like he'd hit a vein.

"I'm a horrible dad, and I regret it everyday. But I ignored you because I wanted to protect you. I never realized how stupid it was. That by pushing you away, I was only hurting you. I won't lie, when your hair turned red, I saw Kushina in you, and it made me turn away because I was afraid. I was afraid someone would make the connection between us, and my enemies would try to kill you. So I pushed you away even more, thinking I was helping. That if no one thought we were close, no one would know we're related. My logic was, if I never even looked at you, how could you be my child? You couldn't be mine if I didn't even know you. That way, no one except who should know, would know."

Minato held the redhead tighter, and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"What-" The cyclops bit out. Her chakra flared with boiling anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" She screeched, her voice muffled by Minato's shoulder.

_'You're reaction is angry, but I know that you're confused. Even though all you ever wanted was to be loved, when you're shown it, you don't know how to react...'_

The cyclops began struggling, and spitting out furious curses. Minato didn't let her go. Not even when she threatened to gut him with her nails.

_'You don't know how to react, and that's my fault. But I will do my damnest from here on out to rectify that!'_

"I loved you more then you will ever know as soon as your mother told me she was pregnant. I don't care what you've done, or what you'll do. You're my daughter, and I love you. That will never change."

She couldn't find words.

But Minato didn't need her to speak. He wanted her to hear this, and know it, and _understand_ it.

Because he _meant_ it. With _everything_ he was.

"I love all of you."

She began thrashing in utter, and incoherent rage.

She was strong, but Minato's resolve kept her in his arms.

When she found she couldn't escape, she screamed at him.

"You don't love me! How could you love me? Huh? You don't give a damn about me. You let Danzo get me! No matter how hard I screamed or cried you never came! You left me all alone! You're a liar! I hate you! YOU'RE A LIAR!"

Minato didn't know when they'd come, but his tears soaked through his daughter's hair.

"I'm not asking for you to forgive me, Naruto." The Fourth choked. "But I need you to know... I'm sorry, and I can't tell you how much... I care honey. I do. I _swear_. You're my little girl... Of course I love you."

He held her tighter when he felt her tense.

"I'm so sorry Naruto..."

Her screams collapsed into heartbreaking sobs.

"It your fault... You never came... Daddy... You never came..." She whimpered.

Minato stroked her hair. Showing her he was there now. That he wasn't going anywhere, because that's all that he could do. He felt so hopeless... He couldn't do anything. Her suffering... She was right.

It was all his fault.

"I can't go back... my mind... it's... it's broken..."

"We can fix it honey. When you're in two... it feels bad..." Minato began. "But when you're whole again, you'll be okay. I'll protect you, Naruto. I promise. Daddy will protect you..."

"LIES!" His daughter shoved him away from her, and this time he let her, watching as she began flailing around frantically for escape, and ending up tumbling over the back of his desk, crashing to the floor gracelessly.

Minato sadly watched as she scrambled back like a frightened and abused child, pressing herself into the far wall.

Her facial expressions changed rapidly as she desperately tried to understand her feelings. Desperately tried to grasp her heart that was spiraling into turmoil. One of her hands buried in her hair, and yanked, as if the physical pain could give her the answers.

"W-what... what is this _ache_?" She snarled, holding a hand over her heart. "You bastard! What have you done?"

Minato shook his head miserably.

"I didn't do anything." He soothed. "You're in pain."

His daughter's teary eye took on an almost deranged gleam, and her body shook with a wracking force.

"That's a lie!" She spat, tears spilling down her face. "I'm evil! I'm above pain! The evil don't feel anything!"

"Naruto-"

"FUCK YOU!" She roared.

The shadows in the room lunged ferociously, from all sides, darkness latched onto his daughter's form, before dragging her into the floor and from sight.

Minato fell to his knees.

He had never cried harder than he did then.


	17. Bloody Bridge Blues

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy.**

* * *

"What the fuck?"

For once, it wasn't Naruto dropping the 'F' bomb.

Tazuna gawked at the bodies of his employees scattered haphazardly about the stretch of his bridge. Red seeped from the various cuts strewn about their limp limbs, and spread onto the white stone.

"They're not dead." Naruto muttered. "I sense blood flow."

"Shallow wounds?" Shisui inquired.

"Yep." The redhead confirmed.

"That's a convenient trick you've got there, Naruto-chan." Her Sensei observed.

"My senses are attuned to the qualities of blood." The redhead shrugged. "With chakra, I can enhance them even more."

"Like...?" The pinkette trailed off.

"Mm. Like, the sound of it flowing, the smell, the tas-"

"_Okay_ so lets guard Tazuna-san!" Shisui interrupted. He was always kind of iffy about Naruto's... drinking habits.

"Whatever Uchiha." Naruto rolled her eyes, the sassy gesture contradicting the weary black smudges under her eyes. "Anyways Haruno, if I concentrate, I can even hear the blood cells traveling within someone's veins."

"That's disgusting..." Sakura muttered, blanching.

"Channeling my chakra into my body parts makes many things possible." Naruto said, as if that was relevant to the turn the conversation had taken.

Kakashi sighed, being the first to slide into his taijutsu form, noting the unnatural mist crawling over the sides of the bridge, and clogging up the open air.

"They're getting blood all over my beautiful bridge!" The old drunk complained. It would seem he was still sore about his bleeding employees.

Sakura sent him an appalled look.

"_That's _what you're worried about? " The banshee hissed.

Tazuna shrugged shamelessly.

"Blood stains are impossible. They give my old bones the blues."

"Why would you be scrubbing blood stains old man?" Naruto asked, raising a perfect red brow.

Tazuna's eyes slid away evasively, muttering about lecherous men and his precious Tsunami-chan.

"And _I'm_ creepy?" Naruto grumbled.

Shisui shook his head at them, and made a shadow clone, having it take Tazuna's right to guard, as Sasuke wasn't there, having trained like a maniac well into the morning and passed out.

The real Shisui took Tazuna's left, and Sakura, as usual, guarded his front. Naruto, stood slightly in front of the pinkette.

A string of malicious laughter echoed across the bridge, and the fog cleared enough to show Zabuza standing back to back with his hunter nin ally.

No one was surprised, as one of Naruto's two blood clones had explained Haku was the fake hunter nin before being dispelled. Leaving out of course, the appearance of her eccentric other half. That had been a little over two weeks ago, and Tazuna's bridge was close to being finished. The old drunk would only need a month to complete the symbol of hope to Wave.

"Oh look Haku, the little monster came to play again." Zabuza chuckled, referring to Naruto, whose form was slouched, mask unzipped, and lit cigarette between her lips.

Kakashi had confronted her about her nasty habit after her clone spilled the beans about Haku, though, it hadn't led anywhere. Naruto's argument being 'Old enough to kill? Old enough to fuck, drink, and whatever else'. The scarecrow had threatened to tell her father, and the redhead had grinned at him with her eyes, sweetly offering to personally torch his Icha Icha supply.

Needless to say, Naruto had nothing to worry about.

Today she was without her jumpsuit. Wearing a simple high collared, short sleeved black shirt with her swirling clan emblem emblazoned on the upper back. She was the image of fatigue. The redhead's hands slipped into her black pants pockets, her blue-green eyes hooded, and her face pale.

Yeah, she'd come out, but not to play.

She was feeling like straight crap, and when she exerted herself, she tended to vomit blood. Kurama was doing the best he could, but his main priority was keeping Naruto from turning into a corpse.

"Wait..." The Mist nin squinted at Shisui. "What the hell have you been feeding that kid since the last time I saw him? Steroids?"

"He's not Sasuke-kun!" Sakura protested loudly.

"Wait no... I know him..." Zabuza continued, ignoring the pinkette, and causing her to fume. "He's in my bingo book. I'm sure of it..."

_'Are you kidding? Shisui is listed as an S class ninja.__**(1)**__ The best damn Uchiha since Madara and pre Itachi. Is this guy an idiot?' _

"Where's the other brat?" Zabuza suddenly demanded.

_'To think I found him attractive! What the hell was I thinking!?' _The teen thought, appalled.

**'Something along the lines of, _'Kami! LOOK at those fine ass abs'._ Ugh. _Humans!'_**

Naruto flushed.

_'His abs are pretty sexy though...'_

**'You are repulsive.' **Kurama growled.

Inwardly smirking, she focused once more on the matter at hand, ignoring Zabuza's smokin' body.

"Who cares. Duck ass isn't here." The redhead drawled, slipping off one of her skull rings on her right hand, and tucking it into her shuriken pouch. "Are we doing this, or what?"

She pulled out her cigarette, stubbed it out against her arm, and tucked it away too.

Naruto re-zipped her mask after popping a peppermint into her mouth.

"Haku," Zabuza barked. "You better not let that brat get away with nearly killing me. If word gets out I was almost offed by a Genin, I'll never live it down. So for my grievance-" Zabuza's bandages creased with a large grin. "-I wanna see some blood."

_'Blood you say? Now THAT I can do...'_

"Hai, Master." The effeminate boy intoned, arming himself with a single senbon, and flipping it between his milky fingers threateningly.

"Where is the other one?" Haku called to the redhead, his shielded eyes no doubt watching the blood flow between Naruto's fingers, and spill over the back of them, hardening into brass knuckles before more pooled down, and formed a trench knife like blade, extending from the right side of her fisted palm.

"I'd think you'd be more observant, Haku-chan." Naruto taunted dryly. "I make clones almost everyday."

"But that one..." The soft toned boy argued. "A clone? No. She was..."

"Haku!" Zabuza hissed. "The brat! Kick her ass already. I'll get to her after the Copycat!"

"We'll see about that." Kakashi said, drawing a kunai and darting at the swordsman.

"Hai, Master."

The ice user took a step, and flickered in a moment of pure speed.

Zabuza and Kakashi, Haku and Naruto.

All four shinobi locked blades at the same time.

Tazuna's eyes darted between the pairs nervously as they struggled for leverage against one another.

Naruto pulled away, startling Haku, but quickly ducking back in to roundhouse the ice user in the center of his chest.

Grunting, Haku slid back several feet from the force of the blow.

Naruto righted herself, sliding back into her feral, and low taijutsu stance.

"You're not going to fight, Shisui-san?" The pinkette asked quietly.

"I'm just the backup." The Uchiha replied. "If things get dicey, I'll lend a hand."

"Okay..." Sakura agreed softly.

Kakashi glared at Zabuza, kunai miraculously keeping Kubikiribocho at bay.

"For your sake, I hope you've got a plan, Momochi." He uttered lowly. "Because I don't fall for the same trick twice."

"Hmph!" The Mist shinobi huffed. "Flap your yap all you want Hatake, but that old man is as good as mine."

Six Zabuza water clones came flying out of the mist, three going straight for Tazuna's unguarded back, and the rest taking a frontal assault.

Shisui's shadow clone whirled around, and killed the ones from behind _so_ quickly, no one even saw it draw it's tanto.

Sakura sputtered as she was splashed, the original Uchiha killing the other three in a similar 'too fast for the eye to see' manner.

Haku sped through one handed seals, the water on the bridge from the defeated clones slithering over to him at his command.

"**Hidden Art: A Thousand Needles of Death!**"

The water solidified, shooting up and out at Naruto as it sliced across the surface of the bridge, ice spikes reaching up to skewer her abdomen.

Naruto grunted, hunching over as she was hit.

The amount of blood as the redhead was stabbed was alarming to say the least.

It flowed out of her like a fountain, and spattered onto the stone of Tazuna's bridge.

Said bridge builder choked on his own saliva as the blood continued to pour out of the wounded Uzumaki, pooling up, and over, to surround everyone's ankles.

"My bridge!" He nearly sobbed.

"Ugh! Sick!" Sakura gagged.

Kakashi and Zabuza simply hopped onto the surface of the metallic fluid, using chakra to stay above, and continuing their savage taijutsu duel.

Shisui created two more shadows clones, and had them begin to collect the passed out villagers scattered across the bridge to prevent them from literally drowning in blood. Once they were safe, taken to the outskirts of the forest, the clones dispelled, and he stepped atop the coppery liquid, staying afloat with chakra. The green faced Sakura did as well, trying to ignore the way her sandals squelched, soaked through with Naruto's blood.

Tazuna, had to suffer and bear it.

"Th-this should be impossible!" Haku exclaimed weakly. "How can you bleed so excessively?"

"It's because I'm not bleeding." Naruto said, tired eyes narrowing as she smirked. "I've got scrolls full of my own blood sealed all over my body. But, I've also modified some of the seals to hold the liquid itself. Though, they can't hold as much as scrolls."

She lifted up her shirt, showing Haku the hardened blood crystallized over her abdomen, protecting her from the ice spikes still protruding from the large puddle.

Soon though, that blood too, joined the liquid at their feet.

Naruto left her shirt up long enough for the ice user to see the open mouthed, black sugar skull tattooed on the left side of her waist, just above the curve of her hip. The skull had rose petals growing around its gaping sockets, the insides housing peppermint candy, and crying scarlet tears that trickled down in splashes of red, artfully forming a bed of roses beneath it.

"Seals? It... it just looks like art..." Haku mumbled.

"That's the point." Naruto dropped the hem of her shirt. "The point is that no one knows what I have up my sleeve."

The containment seal hidden within the skull on her side was etched into each one of it's two front teeth, disguised as tiny spider lilies. When she channeled chakra to that point, it immediately activated, releasing what it contained. And then, the skull appeared to be vomiting blood. Or, Naruto bleeding at the middle.

It was a relatively new piece of art Naruto had a clone help her with after telling her team about the ice user. She simply summoned the door to The Gallows and retrieved her tattoo kit. The redhead realized she wouldn't always have time to be organized or meticulous by summoning scrolls from her body, so she switched it up a bit, noticing her enemies seemed to fancy stabbing her in various fashions. Her new skull seal was perfect as a distraction, and people would think they had her when she appeared to be bleeding.

Naruto smiled beneath her mask tiredly. She never denied enjoying freaking people out.

"Haku, stop playing around! Kiddie gloves off!" Zabuza roared, taking a fist to the mouth from the copy nin as a consequence for his distraction.

"Hai, Master."

The false hunter nin tucked his senbon into the side of his bun, using both hands to complete another string of hand seals, climbing atop Naruto's blood, and holding himself as if his feet weren't drenched in red.

Naruto followed his lead, though, she remained using one handed seals.

"**Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!**" The ice user called.

Naruto tutted as a giant dragon rose up from the side of the bridge at her right, a pair of glowing red eyes glaring right at her.

"Naruto, move!" Sakura screamed.

The dragon roared, flying up, and diving, charging at the Uzumaki.

Haku's hands were clasped in the serpent seal, and Naruto's left hand was held before her hidden nose in a half ram sign.

"**Blood Release: Lich's Maw...**" She murmured.

Just as the dragon neared her, threatening to slam into her side and send her over the bridge, more blood poured from the seal near her hip, making the ankle deep puddle knee deep. Tazuna stumbled as the red liquid sloshed around, and Naruto breathed deeply to catch her breath.

An Ox skull made of blood sprang up from behind the redhead, snapping its massive jaws aggressively, and clamping down on the neck of the raging water dragon.

Naruto and Haku's hair was blown askew as their two monsters raged above them, energy radiating from their behemoth forms.

Beneath his porcelain mask, Haku began to sweat, pumping more chakra into his jutsu in an attempt to overpower Naruto's.

Naruto did the same, the two giant beasts growled and snarled, fighting for dominance.

Haku, made a slight miscalculation though.

Naruto knew how to move while holding a jutsu.

She blurred into action, skating over the surface of her blood.

A blobbish face slightly similar to her own rose from the crimson depths, and the redhead used it as a springboard. Leaping at the ice user, Naruto flipped once, and uncurled nimbly mid-air, her trench knife positioned to puncture the top of his skull.

Seeing this, Haku gave up on his water dragon, allowing Naruto's Ox head to devour it, and double the size of the blood present on the bridge.

The ice user drew his senbon again, forcing too much chakra into his feet to send himself rocketing into the air.

The two mask wearing teens clashed like titans, a large discharge of blue chakra distorting the air as they met; their blades scraped as they passed one another, landing back to back with six feet between them.

Haku was the first to turn around, launching his senbon at the back of Naruto's neck. An infirm blob lunged to her defense, taking the needle for it's master in the center of it's forehead.

The blob's mouth was a sloppy void, gaping open and releasing wheezes of disturbing rattling breath. It sloshed back down into the blood, senbon eaten away by the liquid's destructive nature.

Haku's breath hitched as more soulless keening filled the air.

He couldn't help but look down, horrified to find similar faces forming lazily in the blood around him, deep pits of black for eyes stared up at him. He flinched as bloody hands clamped around his ankles, attempting to drag him under. The false hunter nin struggled, summoning the ice needles still protruding from Naruto's blood, and sending them into the arms and faces of... of whatever Naruto called the abominations.

The ice was eaten away by Naruto's blood, and disappeared beneath the surface.

"They're half formed blood clones." The redhead said, finally turning around, and smiling at the ice user with her blue-green eyes.

"Gnarly right?" She asked, giving an impish giggle.

Haku's lips pursed beneath his mask. It was time to get serious.

"I cannot lose. I'm sorry Naruto. But if I must, I will kill my heart in order to defeat you." The boy ran through hand seals once again. "I will do anything... in order for his dream to come true."

"There's no place for a heart here anyways." Naruto shrugged. "You've got to lack a heart to steal the life of someone else's."

"Then you understand..." Haku nearly whispered. "You understand what it means to be a shinobi... as well as someone with the desire to protect..."

Naruto's deathly gaze widened as water rushed over the sides of the bridge, just as Haku called out his jutsu.

"**Hidden Art: Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors!**"

The water surrounded Naruto's form, creating a floating dome of thin, rectangular ice blocks.

Haku flashed over to one of the mirrors, and stepped closer, his body sinking inside.

Naruto sighed.

"Great."

She was then peppered with senbon.

* * *

Zabuza clenched his teeth to keep from howling in agony.

"As expected from the man who copied over a thousand jutsu..." The Mist nin gritted, crimson blooming across the surface of his bandages.

Kakashi had summoned a pack of nin dogs, and they had sank their teeth into his limbs, binding him and forcing him to stay still as the silver haired scarecrow charged up his greatest jutsu.

Chidori.

* * *

Shisui was almost bored.

He officially hated being backup. You didn't get any real action. But, it was easy pay so... he wouldn't complain too much.

The Uchiha, (having learned a few things from Naruto), set up a Fuuinjutsu barrier to keep Tazuna, Sakura, and himself from being bathed in blood. It also defended against jutsu, so, they would be alright as long as no one starting pulling out Kinjutsu.

Shisui watched the Ox skull Naruto had summoned gain more magnitude, and form an equally skeletal body. The Ox stood guard in front the Fuuinjutsu barrier the Uchiha set up, out of the way of the fighting.

Shisui deadpanned as their faces was full of nothing but boney butt.

Never mind. He would definitely complain. Being backup was the worse job ever.

Well, just after Tora retrieval.

* * *

Naruto danced around the metal projectiles whizzing at her at every angle. Sure, she was sort of sluggish, but Haku was high Chunin level, and she was a highly trained ROOT nin. The power gap was too great.

The redhead pushed wind chakra from her tenketsu, forcing the flying senbon away from her.

"You're fast Haku. I'll give you that." Naruto mumbled. "But I've got more battle experience."

Haku zipped through his mirrors, spraying the redhead with more needles.

Gracefully, Naruto spun on her heels, allowing the weapons to harmlessly fly past her.

"I've also got one more comrade."

Haku's movements faltered for a split second.

The blood still at Naruto's feet rippled beneath her as someone blurred into existence by her side, spitting out a jet of blazing fire that melted the next wave of senbon mid-air.

Stunned, Haku froze.

"It's about time you showed up, Teme." Naruto drawled.

"Urusai." The Uchiha muttered. "You're the ones who didn't bother to wake me up, Dobe."

"Heh." Naruto chuckled.

A gangly blood arm shot up and caught the senbon between two fingers aimed at the back of Sasuke's neck.

The Uchiha stared at her in slight alarm, his two tomoe sharingan**(2)** spinning lethargically.

"You... saved me..." He said.

Naruto scoffed.

"I've got plenty of things on my conscience, Uchiha. Dead Teme is not something I wish to add to the list."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." He sped through hand seals, stopping at tiger. "**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!**"

Sasuke whipped around, breathing out roaring flames, aiming at the last place he knew Haku to be.

The ice user jumped to the next mirror, the one Sasuke targeted doing nothing but dripping slightly.

"That pitiful flame will never melt my ice mirrors." Haku informed the other male, almost chidingly.

"Tch!" Sasuke tutted.

"No one told you to come rushing in here, baka." Naruto said, dodging the new swarm of senbon aimed at both of their vitals.

Sasuke did to, though, he took a few in the sides of his legs and arms, though, only grazingly.

"It looked like you needed help." The Uchiha replied.

Blood hands rose up, batting away the needles Naruto knew Sasuke wouldn't be able to avoid.

"More of you will change nothing." Haku said, all of the images of him within his mirrors speaking at once. "With my speed... no one will catch me."

"You're beginning to sound a bit arrogant there, Haku-chan." Naruto chided. "I'm going to teach you something I was taught at eight years old."

Sasuke ran through another jutsu.

A whip of blood lunged, timed perfectly, and caught the ice user around the neck mid jump.

"_'Arrogance_ _is_ _unbecoming'_." Naruto quoted tonelessly.

"**Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!**"

A swarm of glowing gold orbs sprayed from Sasuke's lips.

Haku screamed just as the sound of one thousand chirping birds screeched across the stretch of the bridge.

* * *

Kakashi charged at Zabuza, his lightning crackling fist extended to the Mist nin's exposed chest.

_"Chidori!"_

Kakashi's hand tore through the chest cavity before him.

His single eye widened in unimaginable horror.

Sakura screamed.

The scarecrow stared into Naruto's blue-green eyes, watching as they dulled.

Kakashi's stomach fell into his knees, and he stumbled back, pulling his arm from his student's body.

Zabuza gawked behind the redhead, watching her fall to her knees.

Shisui smirked.

The chidoried redhead burst into a mess of blood.

And suddenly, Kakashi could breathe again.

_'Naruto, you are in so much trouble when I get my hands on you...' _The scarecrow mentally gritted.

"What the hell is this!?"

Everyone turned to the outraged voice that bellowed from across the bridge.

"Gato!" Tazuna spat, wrinkled face twisted in absolute loathing.

The short pudgy man smiled, his form shielded by a crowd of mangy and hostile looking thugs.

"Why, hello Tazuna." The despicable man greeted, ignoring the way the bridge builder flipped him off. He turned to Zabuza, who was still caught in the jaws of Kakashi's pack.

"Some demon you are!" Gato sneered. "All this blood and no one's dead yet?"

"Well, thats because it's mine, fatass."

Many pairs of eyes widened, including Gato's, who turned around to face the person that was suddenly looming over him from behind.

Haku stumbled over to his master, maskless, his limbs sporting angry looking burns, and his clothes singed. Naruto's blood whip had released him for him to have enough time to escape the brunt of Sasuke's fire jutsu. His ice mirrors had shattered, consumed by Naruto's blood.

Said blood rose up to towering heights, the Ox being sucked into its mass, Naruto having finished her hand seals just before speaking up behind Gato.

"**Blood Release: Corpse Titan.**"

Sasuke ran over to Sakura, ignoring her squeal of delight, watching his older cousin finish hand seals, the air around him, Tazuna, and Sakura rippling, signifying the release of the invisible Fuuinjutsu barrier. Shisui's shadow clone dispelled, and the younger Uchiha took his place guarding Tazuna's right.

Everyone on the bridge watched the blood bubble and sizzle, beginning to take form, shimmering in the afternoon sun as it solidified into a humanoid female torso.

"N-now hold on just a m-moment..." Gato stuttered, beady eyes bulging behind his round shades. "I-I can pay you! I was planning to betray that overpriced fool Zabuza from the beginning anyways!"

"What?" Said 'overpriced fool' snarled.

"He's n-not even the r-real deal! He's li-like a-a baby demon!"

Zabuza growled lowly, a vile aura spilling out of him, enraged violet, red, and bruise blue forming a vengeful, and foul faced demon above him.

"I guess that means we've got no reason to be fighting anymore..."

Kakashi called back his pack, returning them to their place of summons, and went over to stand beside Tazuna.

Naruto's blood titan continued to grow, until it had legs, positioned on the bridge on all fours, awaiting command.

Haku helpfully pulled Zabuza's bandages away from his mouth, allowing everyone to see his monstrous razor teeth and snarling expression. Seeing his bloodlust, Sakura tried to quell her terror, and tossed him a kunai. Zabuza caught the weapon between his teeth, arms hanging limply at his sides, stinging bite wounds seeping scarlet fluids.

The livid Mist shinobi shot off like a rocket, across the bridge in a matter of seconds, and ran through the crowd of thugs like a hot knife through butter, slitting throats and brutally severing limbs.

Naruto smiled with her eyes down at the business tycoon.

"Oh, it's not me you need to worry about."

"Huh?"

"It's him."

Slowly, Gato turned around, and didn't even have enough time to be afraid before his head was flying from his shoulders, thumping to the stone below, his pudgy face contorted in everlasting shock. The fresh stump sprayed crimson, and splattered across Naruto's masked face.

"Nice." Naruto muttered irritably.

The remaining thugs were snapped out of their fear induced paralysis at the death of their paycheck.

The sound of Gato's headless body dropping was like the signal for the redhead's titan to move into action.

The giant's massive hand back handed a gaggle of thugs from the side of the bridge, and their bones splintered on impact; screaming in agony, they were cut off mid wail, dying instantly as ice spikes shot up from the waters below and skewered them through their vitals.

Naruto sent a smile at the icily scowling Haku.

"I always knew Gato was slime." Was the ice user's only response.

Chaos broke out across the bridge, villagers from Wave storming in with gardening tools and torches to defend their home, led by little Inari and his mother, Tsunami.

"Originally, I was going to use my mother's bones to give my titan more substance, but you flunkies will do." Naruto said nonchalantly, wiping Gato's blood from her eyes.

Her titan took hold of two thugs in each hand, oblivious to their futile struggling and wails of despair. Opening it's maw, the giant bit the heads right from the shoulders from the criminals in it's left hand.

The villagers, and everyone who wasn't Zabuza or Naruto winced deeply at the resounding crunch.

The rest of the thugs tried to escape to the boat Gato had left at the edge of the bridge.

Zabuza started cackling around his borrowed kunai as he began killing them again.

The corpses he left in his wake were devoured by Naruto's titan. A titan that had rapidly spawning tendons and muscles creeping across its body as bones began forming around it's bloody surface.

Haku watched the rest of team seven, Shisui, and all of the horrified Wave villagers back away slowly. Obviously not wanting to see such carnage.

Naruto watched the thugs that had been swallowed whole panic as they began dissolving inside of her titan's abdomen.

She rose a single hand, commanding her giant to cease it's feasting.

It did so, dropping the man it was about to tear in two, causing him to land hazardously on his neck, and break it. The giant sat down thunderously, and folded its legs beneath itself in a disturbingly docile manner. A large blue eye ball formed in its right socket, wandering around absently, awaiting orders.

The redhead left Zabuza to his fun, going about creating a sealing array, and summoning a familiar coffin.

A moment later, the coffin clicked open, door creaking slowly.

"Hey 'Gumo-chan, I've got a surprise for you..."

* * *

**(1) Well, remember a while back Hidan's twin brother Midan, (who I made up), gave Shisui and Naruto their aliases? His last wish was for Hidan to make sure they had bingo book entries. Well, since then, Shisui has been being sent on more missions for Danzo without Naruto, and made an even greater name for himself. Naruto isn't as well known because no one knows her real name, and that was her last field mission before her one to protect Sasuke began. And then, she only had the title given to her by Midan. Nuigurumi Ningyo. No one knows what she looks like. Being so famous, it is well known Shisui is an Uchiha. In the chapter Shisui was given the name **_**Shunshin **__**no **__**Shisui**_**, I purposely had Naruto call him by his first name instead of a codename. Shisui never said Naruto's name, and referred to her as his partner. Therefore, she is not as well known, nor does she have a bounty on her head.**

**(2) Sasuke first activated his Sharingan when he found his dad dead at the age of seven. Fanfiction people. Things get changed around.**

**Til next update.**


	18. Harime II

**-Naruto gets messed up in this chapter. The idea of having her organs removed in front of Daddy Dearest goes to the ever clever and lovely SapphireFox9.**

**Danzo sends his love. :)**

**WARNING: I don't know what in the name of Gumo's lair came over me this chapter. Blood, insanity, gore, explosions, and profanity coming your way peeps.**

* * *

**One Day Before Team Seven Departs To The Bridge**

* * *

Behind Tazuna's house, Naruto summoned a scroll from her wrist, and opened it, spilling a bit of blood in the grass, and finished up by drawing a seal in the rapidly decaying green.

Fingers combusting into azure flames, Naruto slammed her palm against the earth and summoned a coffin. She sealed the scroll back into the skin of her inner wrist.

Rising from the glowing symbols, the box clicked open, and Naruto found herself stunned by the blank look in Harime's eye.

"What's wrong?" Naruto immediately demanded, taking hold of the cyclop's wrist, and pulling her from the silken bedding of her coffin.

"Are you thinking about what I said before?" Naruto asked, trying to ignore the twisting in her stomach. "When I said I accept you? Don't question it, I know it probably looks really bad, and hypocritical that I said I need you, and then locked you right back in the coffin, but I-"

"Naruto."

The redhead nearly flinched at the darkly serious tone Harime spoke to her in. Naruto didn't even know the cyclops _could_ look so angry. She usually expressed her feelings through smiles, astonishingly getting across what a specific smile meant she was feeling.

The original swallowed thickly.

"Hai...?"

"Just tell me why you summoned me."

Naruto wondered how something apart of her could make her feel such specific emotions. Dread stirred inside her tummy, crawling up her insides and threatening to strangle her from within.

Uncertainly, Naruto nodded.

"Ah, um... I need you to find Gato's base of operations in Wave." She said, gaining her confidence as she went along. "He seems, just by what he's doing to this country, like the kind of guy who double crosses."

"You want him dead?" The cyclops asked flatly.

"Not by your hand." Naruto replied, crossing her arms across her chest, and leaning back, staring into Harime's eye.

Naruto remembered one of her clone's eyes had blown out before, as it slowly turned into a corpse, and eventually, would've turned into a nasty puddle, had she not destroyed it.

_'All that pus and those oily fluids... yuck!'_

The redhead honestly didn't realize her train of thought was wandering. And that only served to prove her near catatonic state.

Sporadic flashes of bloodshed stole the redhead's vision for a moment.

_'My clones die so easily... rot away so easily... and when I think about it... real people do too...'_

Naruto never stayed around long enough for her victims to grow cold after she slaughtered them, let alone watch them decompose.

Decomposition.

That's what was happening to her at that very moment.

Naruto was dying.

Slowly.

It was a morbidly humbling thought.

_'Guess the village's pet monster isn't so invincible after all, huh?' _Naruto mused darkly.

**'Naruto.'**

Kurama's deep guttural voice pulled her back to the present, and related.

Shaking her head, the redhead shook away the bloody memories, closing them back up in the dark corner reserved for them within her subconscious.

_'Arigato, Kurama...'_

Blue-green eyes faded back into focus, staring into the eye of her doppelganger.

"Im sure Gato has a specific group of people he takes with him to do his dirty work. And the others... are left behind." The redhead finally finished, scratching the back of her head.

Naruto suppressed the urge to recoil at the intelligence that flashed in that single eye in a split second.

"All of them?"

"All of them." Naruto confirmed.

Harime turned around, facing the surrounding forest.

"Consider it done."

Harime took a step and-

"Wait."

Harime's movements paused at Naruto's words.

The original redhead snagged Harime's right arm from behind, and pulled her around, using her other hand to simultaneously pull the cyclop's mask down, away from her face.

Naruto gazed deeply into the face that was nearly identical to her own, deciding she didn't like the grim set of that familiar mouth.

A mouth.

Like the many mouths Naruto had torn agonized screams from as she tortured people._ 'Damnit!'_ The redhead shook her head again, batting away the images that threatened to flood into her skull.

_'I wish my mind would stop wandering so much...'_

The redhead summoned the kindness she only showed to small children. She'd never admit it, even knowing someone was bound to see it based on her behavior around them, but Naruto really liked children. They were adorable when they weren't being brats. And another secret Naruto horded, was her love for cute things.

It just didn't look good.

A bloody psycho with an infatuation for ramen and adorable things? How could she justify that?

**'Naruto.' **Kurama called again.

_'Ah, thanks. I can't seem to focus for long periods of time. Not unless I'm fighting...'_

**'Why must I suffer by being sealed within such a foolish girl?' **The fox grumbled.

The redhead ignored the beast, training her fickle attention once more on her other half.

"Why are you so troubled?" Naruto asked tenderly.

The softness in her tired eyes must've struck something in the cyclops, because she scowled.

Harime scowled.

At _Naruto_.

Sneering, Harime yanked her arm from Naruto's gentle hold, and moved _away_ from her.

Naruto felt something in her chest squeeze painfully.

"What have you done to me?" Harime demanded, alarming her original at the manic shine her eye suddenly gleamed with.

Naruto felt another pang and contortion in her chest. And she wondered if her other half felt this way when Naruto would so obviously scorn her.

"I'm _feeling_!" Harime spat. "For _others! _That should be impossible, because you're the only thing I care about!"

"Hari-"

"That's not my name!" The cyclops roared. "My name is Naruto. That's who I am. That's who _you_ are. Why did you do this to me?"

Confused, Naruto tried to soothe her other half with comforting touches, only to be angrily swatted away.

Harime buried her clawed hands into either of her pigtails, and yanked. She began pacing frantically, rambling insanely to herself with a misty eye that paralyzed Naruto.

"I'm Naruto! But I'm Harime... No no, that's wrong. _You're_ Naruto. But you're _me_! Are you Harime? No no... yes? Harime is Naruto... Naruto is Harime. Who is Harime? Is she real? Uhhh... confused... so confused... Where did it go...? My brain walked away. Where are you? Naruto? Harime? No no... I don't know..."

_'I-is that... are those...? Tears...?'_

"You gave me this soul... and now nothing makes sense!" Harime sputtered, still talking to herself, though, addressing Naruto.

It was a strange sight.

Because, Naruto knew Harime wasn't with her. The cyclops was somewhere else. Not seeing Naruto anymore. She was... in a place. In the place that caused her to fall into such a dangerous state.

_'But what could have done this? She was in the coffin! Maybe she was just thinking too hard locked up in there, and I made her go even more mad...' _Horrified at this revelation, Naruto turned to her doppelganger, not knowing what to do or say.

Would comfort from her even work? After all... Harime _was_ a part of her... what could Naruto do to ease her pain? It was all so fucked up. The redhead didn't know what to make of it. Was it some kind of twisted vanity she harbored wanting to patch up her own heart? Or... Harime's heart...? Damn. What the hell was this? It was impossible to define this. Whatever _this_ was. Naruto tore them in two, and now they were both breaking into even smaller pieces.

"Daddy said he loves me, and it made me happy. Why?" Harime babbled. "I'm darkness. Why would I care if I was loved by anyone other than my creator?"

Naruto flinched as the cracking cyclops whirled on her, and took a bruising hold on both of her shoulders. The redhead winced as she felt Harime's sharp nails sink to the flesh of said shoulders, drawing thin ribbons of blood.

Harime's eye was wide. Wider than Naruto had ever seen it. Not with innocence, or surprise. But insanity. She was almost completely gone.

And it did something to Naruto.

It scared her.

"I'll tell you why! It's... it's your soul! Your soul is making me more human. And it's tearing me apart, because it's against everything I stand for!"

Harime had come back to herself enough to see Naruto again, and begin ranting to her.

"Take it back! I don' want it. If you take it back... I can go home." She shook her head frantically, and pleaded, taking Naruto completely aback. "I wanna go home, Naruto... home is where the brain is... oh no! No no... where's the brain? The brain walked away... Hehehehe~"

Naruto firmly grasped both of the wrists connecting to the hands clamped over her shoulders.

"Harime." She called. "Can you hear me?"

Harime's eye was sliding to the right and back to the left over and over again, as if doing so would help her find 'home'.

From what the redhead could understand, her soul was unraveling the darkness of Harime's personality, which meant she was disappearing. And that thought drove the cyclops absolutely mad, giving her delusions about finding 'home', which was originally Naruto's brain.

_'I can fix this... I know I can.'_

"Harime-chan..." Naruto called, wincing as she slid the cyclops' nails from her flesh.

"Ehehehehe~" Harime tittered absently, eye rolling around in it's socket aimlessly.

"I'll help you get 'home'. I promise." Naruto vowed, and she meant it. "But first, we have to get out of Wave, and to a more secure place. So, when you do me the favor I asked earlier, we can leave as soon as possible, okay...?"

"Home...?" Harime's eye rolled around, and bore into Naruto's identical pair, her face stretching into a wide grin.

"Thats right. Home." Naruto nodded once.

She felt like shit for what she was about to do, but she couldn't have Harime falling into another insane fit while away from her.

"_'Do not fail your village'._"

The cyclops' Face went alarmingly blank, just for a moment, and then, she was beaming again.

"Will do!" Harime saluted.

Naruto watched the cyclops turn to the forest again, the side that eventually would lead her into the marketplace of Wave.

"_Matte!_" The redhead blurted.

"Hmmm~?" Harime's head slowly turned around, her razor teeth gleaming in the late morning sun.

"Come find me when you're done, okay?" Naruto whispered hoarsely. "Don't... don't go back to the coffin. We'll find your home... Together."

"Rodger!" Harime giggled, waving cheerfully goodbye, and skipping off into the cover of the trees.

It was entirely unsettling. How the cyclops could be a deranged lunatic one minute, and a cheerful character the next.

The redhead tried not to think about Harime's, and by default, her own fickle nature.

The weary eyed teen watched her other half merrily go about her way with a heavy sigh that tasted of copper.

When she disappeared, Naruto's posture sagged.

_'Kami. I'm just as disgusting as Danzo... manipulating others to suit my goals... Disgraceful.'_

She turned back to Tazuna's house, to finish packing her things for the showdown that was soon to come.

Pushing her troubles to the back of her mind, Naruto went into mission mode.

She would not fail.

* * *

When Harime knew she was out of Naruto's line of sight, she unsealed her parasol, and seated her bum on it's side, looking the proper part of a wicked witch as she smirked.

Activating the wind seals, Harime jerked forward, before shooting up, soaring above the trees, and blurring across the air, towards the marketplace of Wave.

She knew it was a rather rotten trick. But, the cyclops had already admitted to being rotten.

Yes, Naruto's soul was eroding her darkness. Because, despite how jaded she was, Naruto was not evil down to the core.

Naruto's core was relatively kind. Her human shell was just convoluted due to her life's circumstances. With Naruto's soul inside of Harime, the cyclops was quite simply, being purified. The qualities of Naruto's soul were slowly eating away at her existence.

It just wasn't affecting her psyche as catastrophically as the cyclops had portrayed.

Harime was as messed up as they came, she couldn't get any worse.

The pigtailed redhead snickered behind her hand, and cruelly slapped away a bird that was in flight beside her, her claws ripping it to blood soaked feathery shreds.

Flicking gore from her claws, Harime examined the glittery surface of them, pursing her lips at the thought of her meeting with her father.

The cyclops had truly lost her composure with Minato. But, when she had a moment to herself within the silence of her coffin, she was able to gather her thoughts, and figure out what was happening to her.

Knowing her destruction was inevitable if things continued on the way they were with Naruto's inner indecisiveness, Harime was preparing to take matters into her own hands.

Her job, was to ensure Naruto's survival and happiness. If she didn't exist, how could she do that?

So, the cyclops sped along Naruto's motivation to merge them once more.

Harime made her creator think she was _so_ close to breaking, she forced Naruto to decide they had to become one as soon as possible.

Honestly, Harime didn't see what there was to think about. The fact of the matter was, Naruto was dead if she didn't take the other half of her soul back. So she should've taken it when she found without it, she'd die. Period.

"Really, always so unsure of yourself Naru-chan. It's unhealthy!" The cyclops chuckled.

A calculating oceanic eye watched the forest fade out as she covered more and more distance, becoming an abandoned fruit stand here, and a starved child's corpse there

_'Oooh~ Lookie lookie! My fun's about to begin!'_

The reason the cyclops had frozen when she heard those familiar words from the redhead, was because she was surprised Naruto would actually use them against her.

"Fail the village?" Harime snorted, dipping down in flight, and landing atop a small grocery shop roof, one that had thugs lurking in the alley it shared with a boarded up meat market.

"I can't believe she would use Danzo's technique on me!" Harime complained.

Well, the cyclops _had_ guilt tripped Naruto into deciding on merging them. So, she supposed she wouldn't hold a grudge _this_ time.

Harime's platform boots thumped softly on the roof of the grocery, only for her to easily upturn herself in a hand stand.

Her closed parasol, still activated with wind chakra, was floating behind her knees, and the redhead hooked both of her legs over the length of the lace material.

The parasol lifted higher, carrying the upside down cyclops as she slowly swayed like a playful monkey.

She dipped over the side of the beat up grocery, happy Gato had made her job easy by having his thugs stationed all over Wave.

She still hadn't pulled her mask up from when Naruto had pulled it down.

_'I think Naruto once read a book that said smiles help make new friends!'_

Snickering, Harime lowered her upside down form behind both of the thugs in the shadowed alleyway.

* * *

Feeling someone tap his shoulder, the first man turned to his partner.

"What man?"

The other thug gave him a funny look.

"Huh? I didn't say anything."

"No, why'd you tap me, dipshit?"

The second thug huffed, flushing angrily at the insult.

"I didn't touch you man!"

"Yes you-"

The first thug cut himself off, noticing the alley they were in was suddenly a lot darker than before.

"Hey-o!" Someone greeted happily.

Both thugs whirled around, recoiling at the upside down face that was _inches_ from their own.

A kid with long curling pigtails was flying somehow, her legs hooked over what looked like an umbrella, her mouth stretched into a cutting grin.

Both men clamped their hands on the swords at their sides, spotting her sharp teeth.

Teeth that gleamed pearlescently in the unnatural darkness.

"Who the hell are you?" The first thug demanded, following his partner's lead and backing away slowly.

"Oh, me?" She pointed to herself theatrically, as if he could be talking about anyone else.

"Yes you!" Snapped the second thug. "What're you doin' here you damn brat!? Are you one of Zabuza's toys?"

"I'm no one's toy." She declared, swinging herself around, and completing an impressive move of aerial acrobatics, landing in front of them in a crouch, her back turned.

"In that case, beat it you damn brat!" The first thug barked. "Take your ass back to whatever circus you came from!"

Folding her hands behind her back, the shark toothed child turned around, smiling slightly.

"Oh, you see, that's the problem." She said, still smiling. "I need you to tell me where your boss' base of operations is."

The first thug felt his temper flare, but alarm bells were ringing all over his brain.

"You little bitch! Like we'd ever tell you!" The second thug roared, sliding his katana from it's sheath, and darting at the cheerful child.

The first thug's eye bulged when he saw that small smile split her face in two, and she grabbed her still floating object, flicking it open.

"No, don't!" He found himself blurting.

The thing -a parasol- he realized belatedly, spun at blurring speeds.

The second thug's blade connected against the lace in a show of sparks, before it was forced off by the sheer speed of it's spinning.

Stumbling back, the second thug gawked at his newly dulled blade, just as the child rested her parasol leisurely upon her right shoulder.

"Okay, I've played this game enough to know one of you is going to have to suffer immensely if I want answers."

The first thug finally drew his blade, noting the child's bland tone.

_'She's not just being a smartass. She probably has the skills to back up that confidence...'_

The redheaded kid turned to the second thug, giving him a flat look.

"You, seem like the perfect candidate, as you attacked me like a moron, not knowing what kind of power I have."

"Hu-"

She cut him off with a casual wave of her hand.

The first thug's heart stuttered in his chest as he heard the agonized screams of his partner.

He made the mistake of looking over at the younger, hot headed man.

The thug began trembling, watching the pigtailed girl stride over to his downed partner, and kick away his freshly severed legs.

The younger man was howling, helplessly clutching at his gushing new stumps, tears pouring out of his eyes.

"Y-you b-bitch! F-fucking bitch!" He sobbed.

The younger man's dull sword lied uselessly at his side as he cried.

_'W-what the-!?' _The thug thought. _'What did she even cut his legs off with? She never even touched him!'_

"Wind chakra." She supplied helpfully, as if reading his mind.

_'Oh sweet Yami we're screwed...'_

"Shinobi." The thug growled instead.

"Haha, you got me." The redhead chuckled. "You're smart, for fodder that is."

The first thug clenched his teeth, trying to ignore the rising terror eating away at his insides.

"If you recognize that I'm a ninja, then you also recognize there's no point in running." She said. "No matter where you run or hide, I'll find you."

The thug shivered involuntarily, the fine hairs on his arms raising on end, watching her sink her jaws into the flesh of her own hand.

His partner had stopped shrieking, instead, began whimpering as he bled out, periodically spitting curses at the eyepatch wearing girl.

She crouched next to the legless thug, clenching her bleeding hand so her blood speckled the ground, mixing with the puddle that was rapidly forming around the man.

"Wait." The standing thug mumbled, sweat rolling down the sides of his temples. "You _know_ we can't get away. You can catch us. We can't run... so... why did you cut off the kid's legs?"

His blood froze when the girl laughed, and she shrugged.

She _shrugged_.

_'She's completely fucked up.' _He thought, no longer able to contain his fear. _'This brat... is going to be the one to send me to hell...'_

"Don't you think it's funny?" She asked the thug. "His pain, I mean."

The standing thug gulped, his hands so slick with sweat, he couldn't even hold his sword properly anymore.

"He was so set on killing me a second ago, and now, here he is at my feet, bleeding to death in a pissy alley where no one will hear his screams."

Her visible eye crinkled as she smiled, announcing the name of her technique.

"**Blood Release: Acid Blood Infection.**"

The standing thug couldn't do anything but watch as the puddle around his partner began bubbling; when the orbs swelled too much, they popped, releasing gasps of steam.

"Wh-what the hell is h-happening?" The legless man stuttered. "Y-you b-bitch! Wh-what ar-are you d-doing t-to m-me?"

The blood on the ground lunged, many tendrils latching onto the severed legs previously kicked across the alleyway, dragging them back over to their owner.

The standing thug watched in morbid fascination as the blood neatly sewed his partner's legs back in place.

"W-what the...?"

The redhead turned to the standing thug as his partner marveled at his newly sewn limbs.

Not a drop of red was out of place.

It was as if no one had bled in the first place.

"I'm going to break this man right in front of you, and then you're going to tell me about your boss's hideout, or I'm going to make you suffer even worse."

The floored thug's eyes widened at her words.

"N-now h-hold on j-just a-"

"**Fuuinjutsu Style Summoning: Hidden Toy Box**."

The first thug's knees gave out as his partner began screaming again.

The boy's legs swelled up like balloons, the skin straining impossibly, coloring with livid bruising as something beneath it _moved_.

The younger thug fell onto his back and began writhing on the ground; as his body spasmed, foam oozed out of his mouth in frothing white bubbles, and his eyes wept streams of liquid salt.

"I've put up a sound jutsu." The girl said, hopping to her feet as the tormented boy wailed soullessly.

"That way, no one can interrupt us. No one will hear you scream."

One of the younger thug's knee caps jerked, the second thug getting a glimpse of a _face_ beneath the boy's skin.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing to him...?" He croaked pitifully.

"It's a surprise silly!" The child giggled. "I can't _tell_ you!"

The other swollen leg couldn't take the savage struggling of whatever was trying to bust itself free, and split open, steaming blood and bone matter flying in all directions.

The second thug flinched as blood slicked clods of flesh spattered his face, sliding down his skin slowly, leaving trails of sickly warmth.

Bile swelled in his stomach, churning inside him in a furious flood, before scorching a path up the back of his throat, and spraying out of his mouth as he gagged.

A life sized _doll_ reared its blood soaked head from the collapsed thug's leg, worming itself free from it's fleshy prison.

The other leg soon gave out too, another doll head peeking out of the boy's body.

The remaining thug just watched, paralyzed as the blood soaked toys stared at him with lifeless black button eyes.

"Wh-what the fuck is this?" He choked, his emptied stomach twisting in painful knots. "What _is_ this!?"

The eyepatch wearing girl began cackling uncontrollably.

"Don't you recognize them?" She asked through her guffaws. "You obviously know Zabuza, but not them?"

The dolls cocked their heads to the side in unison, the blood soaked strands of bushy black hair sprouting from the center of their heads flopping wetly to the side.

"If you ask me, they weren't real demons." The girl said, suddenly examining her nails. She was the epitome of stoicism. "They cried an awful lot when I skinned them alive."

The thug felt his heart sink into a bottomless pit of hopelessness.

He knew.

He would not be leaving the alley alive.

* * *

Harime pranced through Wave, towards the Industrial District. She had created two blood clones from the infected blood of the first two thugs she'd gotten to play with, and sent them both on their merry way to take care of the rest of the patrolling criminals.

The second thug that had obviously been so much more intelligent than his hotheaded partner, was rewarded with a quick death.

He had spilled about Gato's base of operations after Harime informed him of her two ragdolls' original bodies being skinned. So, she'd simply used wind chakra to cut his head cleanly from his shoulders. After that, she nicked her fingers, and infected his corpse with her blood.

Later, Harime found herself crouched behind a corner in the home base lobby of Gato's thugs, (the business tycoon's base of operations being a different building). Not wanting to part with it just yet, the second thug's severed head was in her right hand, dangling by his thinning salt and pepper hair.

It had been pathetically easy to get in, the cyclops having walked right up to the front door and slit the throats of the two front guards with her nails.

In the lobby, there was a glass window surrounding the wall behind the front desk, a lazy man sitting behind said desk and acting as security.

"Looks like I need a quiet distraction!" The cyclops chirped to herself.

Harime reached into the front of her bodice, pulling out a tag with a smiley face and the words 'boom boom' written on it in glittery orange ink.

She channeled chakra into the paper, and shoved it into the severed head's gaping mouth.

She stepped fully around the corner, and swung her arm around quickly.

"Batter up!" The cyclops called, hurling the head at the glass.

The head crashed through the glass, sizzling tag still stuffed in it's mouth as it landed in the lazing security guard's lap.

"Home run!" The cyclops cheered.

The man bugged out at the white eyed head.

"What the fuck!?" He screamed.

_**BOOM!**_

Harime doubled over, laughing as the rest of the glass shattered from the force of the explosion.

"What the hell is going on down here, Matabe?" A man snarled, storming down the stairs across from what _had_ been the front desk, a gaggle of startled thugs trailing behind him.

"Sorry, Matabe can't talk right now 'cause I've sent him to hell, please wait until you join him, _beeeeeeep_!" Harime tittered.

The crowd of thugs stopped gawking at the smoldering pile of wood and human remains across from them, instead, began drawing various non shinobi weapons as Harime re-summoned, and unfolded her parasol.

"Good thing this is sun _and_ liquid proof!" The cyclops twirled on her heels playfully, and waved at the men.

The thugs scowled at her.

"You're dead meat you little whore!" One of the men spat.

Harime grinned sharply.

"Watch out people, the first three rows are a _splash_ zone!" She sang.

The thugs charged at her all at once.

It was the last thing they did.

* * *

**One Day Later, Gato's Main Base Office**

* * *

"Ah ha ha! You lot _actually_ think you're gonna live past this?" Harime guffawed, carefree after checking up on Naruto with her empty eye socket trick, and knowing Gato was dead.

_'Gato's such a dummy. Did he think leaving all these useless toys around would stop someone from getting in here?'_

She danced around the katana of an angry wannabe samurai, ending up behind him and shoving her hand through the back of his throat, until her elbow slid into his flesh, crimson soaking her limb, and dripping from her claws.

_'No matter. He's dead now, which means I can have all the fun I want breaking his toys! Though, I still would, even if he was still alive...'_

He gurgled wetly as Harime tore her arm free, ribbons of blood spurting out from the action. The cyclops effortlessly lifted his falling body up by his ruined neck, and tossed him at another thug approaching her back.

The fresh corpse slammed into the man with an inhuman amount of force, causing him to yelp and fall unceremoniously to the floor, the back of his skull crunching as he landed wrong, and knocked him unconscious.

It had taken a day for the cyclops to make her way to Gato's main base because he had two more housing his seemingly endless amount of henchmen, though, Harime had taken her sweet time killing them all before making her way to Gato's personal office.

It had been a nice office, a little to lavish for Harime's taste, but, it was expensive to say the least. And now it looked like the grounds of a fresh genocide.

The walls were painted in gore, and the floor littered with many _many_ freshly mutilated bodies. Though, there were still a little over forty thugs that lived, all valiantly attempting to slay the rampaging cyclops to be rewarded by a boss that would never return.

When she arrived, she ran through the base cackling as she slit the throats, and cut off the heads of unsuspecting men. When she had ended up on the top floor in Gato's garish office, guards came flooding in to kill her.

_'Jeez, how many toys did the guy need? Paranoid much? Heh. Oh well. More fun for me!'_

Harime flashed before the thug that was trapped beneath his comrade's body, pulling a 'boom boom' tag from her bodice and shoving it into his mouth after activating it.

Blood scythes tore from the skin of her back, deflecting the various weapons sloppily attacking whatever part of her body that was displayed to them.

Inwardly scoffing at their lack of skill, Harime bit her thumb, yanking the 'boom boom' tag man up by his hair, quickly sewing his mouth closed with the resulting tendrils of blood. The stinging pain easily jolted him awake, and he stared up at the beaming cyclops with wide frantic eyes.

His screams were muffled by his sewn flesh, and the cyclops tossed him too, to the far side of the room, into a crowd of thugs.

_**BOOM!**_

The room thundered under the pressure of the explosion, quaking as fire roared across the air, a moment later, charred human bits and remains rained down over who lived, or was left gruesomely injured. Flames traveled across the borders of the room, melting the paint on the walls as the heat ate everything to blackened ash.

Screams of terror and pain filled the room, and Harime rejoiced.

Pandemonium broke out as the thugs finally realized a vital piece of intelligence.

They couldn't touch Harime.

They were all going to die.

"Ah, it's just like Christmas!" The cyclops giggled. "Who's next? Come get your mauling meatbags, there's plenty of suffering to go around!"

"You evil bitch!" Someone screamed, desperate voice clear within the diseased chaos.

"Die, just fucking die!"

"But I don' wanna~" Harime whined. "I wanna play! So play with me~!"

She ducked under the awful punch thrown at her face, hands wrapping around the left leg of the man who attempted to slug her, and snapped it like a twig.

The man howled in agony, Harime swinging him by the leg, using his body to bat away another man that came from her right.

The force behind the impact crushed the head of the man the cyclops was using as a battering ram, and shattered the ribcage of the one who was struck.

She dropped the man's body, pouting at the gory mush that had become his head.

The other man choked on blood, his ribs no doubt having punctured his lungs, causing him to rasp wetly for breath, and stumble back, falling onto his back to inevitably drown in his own fluids.

"'Kay, well, I'm bored now, and I've got stuff to do! So, I'll end our playdate now, okay?" The cyclops asked the remaining enraged and panicking thugs.

She had taken the liberty to infect the corpses by flicking blood all around the room periodically as she fought.

Harime summoned her parasol, swinging one leg over the side; activating the wind seals, she kicked off above the remaining criminals to float above them all.

With a wave of her hand, Harime put out the blazing flames, smoke soon polluting the air, mixing with the metallic scent of blood and human bodily functions.

_'So scared they can't even control their own bowels. My, that is __**rich**__!' _Harime laughed.

She weaved through hand seals, and grinned beneath her mask.

"**Blood Release: Mass Blade Funeral**."

The blood saturating the carpet of Gato's large office bubbled from the soft fibers, curving up, and skewering the bodies of all that lived, seeking out beating hearts, and brains, and throats, and organs, only to pierce them.

Everyone remaining was dead in an instant.

Smiling largely, Harime commanded the remaining blood from the carpet to splatter across the ceiling, where she then painted an image in blood.

"Ah, it's my greatest masterpiece!" Harime proclaimed happily.

She grinned up at her artwork, knowing it was only a matter of time before someone saw it, and reported to the makers of the bingo books.

On the ceiling, was a one eyed theater mask with the Uzumaki swirl emblazoned within its eye, and a stitched smile stretching wide.

The Leaf emblem was placed beneath the cyclops' mark, signifying the massacre was the work of a specific Leaf nin.

The cyclops thought it was about time people feared and respected Naruto's name.

And this was only the beginning.

* * *

Harime stepped out of The Gallows, and into Naruto's apartment, having summoned the door instead of meeting up with her original once finished like the redhead had requested.

She sat in the living room, on one of Naruto's stylish black leather loveseats.

And waited.

A few hours later, just as she anticipated, the door clicked open after the sound of jingling keys, and a twisting lock. With her mask down around her chin, she grinned something wicked.

"Why hello there, Konohamaru."

* * *

**One Month Later**

* * *

Naruto wasn't worried.

She knew if she still lived, Harime did as well. Though, that wasn't to say she didn't often wonder what mischief the cyclops was up to during the past month.

Harime hadn't returned to Naruto like the redhead had wanted, but that was fine. Naruto was sure Harime was just exploring or something, seeing sights and crap before they joined again. As long as she wasn't doing heinous things in Naruto's name, the redhead had nothing to worry about.

Naruto had roughly four months and three weeks to live. Hopefully, her air headed other half showed up before that time and she turned into a freaking corpse.

Zabuza and Haku had disappeared after the confrontation on the bridge, but Naruto was sure it wasn't the last she'd see those two.

_'At least the damn bridge is finally finished. I need ramen damnit!'_

As her team plus Shisui waved goodbye to the newly animated villagers of Wave, Naruto smiled with her eyes up at Tazuna, the unofficial leader of the seaside nation.

She would admit to taking pleasure to the way he drained of color.

"Why are you looking at me like that you damn brat?"

"Ohhhh, no reason." The redhead drawled ominously.

The old drunk huffed, crossing his arms impatiently.

"C'mon kid, we both know when you get that creepy look in your eye, you're about to do something nasty with that blood of yours."

"Hoh~" Naruto taunted. "You're alright old man. You don't bullshit, do you?"

Tazuna just raised an inquiring brow.

Naruto smirked.

"Hm. In that case, I've got a proposition for you."

"It wouldn't have something to do with that giant freak, would it?" The old drunk grumbled, hitching a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Naruto's titan, which was sitting criss cross applesauce to left of Wave's main entrance.

The giant was composed of blood, bones, muscles, tendons, and a limited amount of fat. It had two seafoam blue eyes, and a mass of blonde spikes atop it's head, falling down into it's scowling skinless face in a long bob. Its luminescent teeth were positioned in a perpetual snarl, large fangs glistening in the afternoon sunlight. Fortunately for Naruto, it had no genitals, just the overall shape of a woman, but that was it.

_'At least I don't have to clothe the damn thing. Ugh. That would be such a drag.'_

Naruto chuckled.

"Yeah, it has everything to do with my titan." The redhead admitted, shrugging at the annoyed look Tazuna was giving her.

"Alright brat, what do you want?"

_'Alright Uzumaki. It's now or never...'_

"I want to keep it here."

"_Fuck_ no."

_'That escalated quickly.' _She thought flatly.

"Oh come on old man! You don't even have to _do_ anything!" _'Except feed her every now and then...' _"She won't move unless I command her to first."

"No way Naruto!" Tazuna held his arms in an 'X' formation. "Did you _see_ what that thing did to Gato's men? And you want me to _keep_ it for you? A place full of normal people that will serve as snacks because they don't have fancy pancy ninja tricks to protect their own hides!?"

"Tell you what, I'll make it so she'll only eat people that try to harm Wave in any way. She'll be like, a gatekeeper. Your guardian... ah, um... monster?" Naruto's red brows wiggled persuasively.

Tazuna's gray brows reached towards his receding hairline. He didn't seem convinced.

"Hm? And how will our "guardian monster" know if someone's shady or not? As far as I can tell, it's as intellectually gifted as a toenail."

Naruto grimaced, ignoring the way one of her titan's eyes wandered around absently in opposite directions, drool trickling down the side of her maw.

"That's the thing though, only my command or blood will make her react. Though, that's if she's not hungry. Plenty of bandits and missing nin will be traveling to Wave to take advantage of you all while you rebuild. She'll never be hungry and try to hurt you if you keep her well fed."

"You want me to feed your monster people?" Tazuna asked, appalled. "You're just as crazy as I thought!"

Naruto shrugged.

"The people you feed her would be individuals willing to harm you and your own. To survive in our world, sacrifices have to be made. It's just how things are."

Tazuna gave the redhead a funny look, but Naruto knew his resolve was chipping.

"I'll leave you some of my blood, and I left three more storages of it at your house. In the top kitchen cabinet on the right. If you think you need more, contact the Hokage, I'll be telling him about Wave's new situation. When my titan smells my blood, and sees people looking hostile, she'll devour them. Simple as that."

The bridge builder huffed impatiently, though soon, his shoulders were sagging slightly in resignation.

Naruto refrained from doing a victory dance.

"Alright Naruto." He resigned. "But if that thing _looks_ at one of my people wrong, get it the hell out of here!"

"She won't always be around, I took the liberty of drawing a summoning seal where she's sitting, so I can call her whenever I need her. Also, people with shinobi chakra levels that aren't me can't see her anymore. I've got a barrier set up around her, and because she has no chakra system, shinobi can't sense her."

Tazuna gawked.

Naruto pulled a skull shaped jar full of blood from the pouch around her hips, and handed it to the flabbergasted old drunk.

"Have men rotate to guard the gate, if someone hostile tries to get in, all they have to do is open the jar. It's a fuuinjutsu jar, so, what's inside will never go bad. Like I said before, I left three more jars in your kitchen in case something happens to this one. The smell of my blood will drive the titan mad, and she'll eat everyone in the vicinity. To prevent accidents, have everyone in Wave wear mandatory charms around their neck full of my blood. I left enough in the town hall for every citizen, and even guests you allow inside."

"You little brat!"

Naruto allowed Tazuna to bop her on the head.

"You prepared and everything! You _knew_ I'd say yes!"

Naruto smirked, and crossed her arms.

"I spent a while thinking of a speech to persuade you." The redhead admitted with another casual shrug. "You know what they say, no rest for the wicked."

Tazuna frowned slightly.

"I thought it was wear-"

"Wicked sounds cooler." Naruto grumbled.

There was a pregnant pause. And then, Tazuna threw his head back and released a deep belly laugh, causing the present villagers to give the duo amused glances. When he came back up for air, he fondly ruffled Naruto's hair.

"You are one twisted little brat, you know that?" He chuckled.

Naruto ignored the sudden memory of yanking an old woman's teeth from her mouth with bloodied pliers.

She smiled grimly and nodded.

"Yeah old man, I know."

Tazuna sighed explosively and ruffled the teen's red locks again.

"Okay, I'm sure your friends are wondering what's holding you up." Tazuna said. "Remeber to write us, and don't be a stranger. Come visit Wave after your done traumatizing the Elemental Nations."

Naruto snorted, amused.

"Will do old man, so I guess that means this isn't goodbye."

She turned on her heel, and strolled away with a cool two fingered salute.

"Later Inari, Tsunami." She called.

"Later Nee-chan!" Inari chirped, running up from within the crowd, to stand beside his grandfather. Tsunami followed at a more relaxed pace, blowing the redhead a friendly kiss goodbye.

They had all said their goodbyes earlier, Inari cried, and Naruto told him it was okay if he was happy. Tsunami thanked her, as her blood clones had killed the thugs sent to their house while Sasuke snoozed away upstairs. The commotion had roused the Uchiha, but they were cooling bodies by the time he got downstairs to see what was up, necks neatly snapped.

The redhead approached her teammates, catching the last ends of the bridge builder's family conversation.

"Father what will you name your bridge?" Tsunami wondered.

"Ha! How about Naruto the Raving Lunatic's Playground?"

"Grandpa be serious!" Inari huffed.

"Father!" Tsunami exclaimed, swatting the back of his head.

"Alright alright you two." Tazuna conceded, snickering. "What about... The Great Naruto Bridge?"

"Sounds badass!" Inari crowed.

Tazuna and Tsunami laughed.

Inari soon found himself being wacked by his mother for his foul language, and pouted in protest.

"_Mom!_" Inari whined.

"Yeah, it _does_ sound badass, doesn't it?" Naruto murmured to herself, sliding into her place beside Shisui, before they all took to the trees.

* * *

"Sensei what the hell?" Naruto complained.

They had all stopped traveling for the day, and were setting up camp. Naruto informed the group that she had to take a waz, and so drifted off into the cover of some trees to summon her bathroom door. Smirking at her own cleverness for making her bathroom door as summon-able as The Gallows, she finished up and returned the door back to her apartment.

When she went back to camp, Kakashi caught her by the ear.

Naruto huffed as the Copy Nin pinched and twisted her right ear ripe red.

"What's the big idea you damn perv!?" The redhead yelled, outraged.

Kakashi eye smiled.

"Don't think because I didn't say anything for the past month, that you're off the hook for that stunt you pulled on the bridge."

"What stunt?" Naruto griped.

Sakura poked her pink head from the flaps of the green tent Shisui helped her set up.

"You know, when Sensei chidoried your clone?" The pinkette imputed helpfully.

"Thanks Sakura." Naruto said sarcastically.

The pinkette giggled behind her hand and got comfortable to enjoy the show.

Shisui helped Sasuke with another tent, and tried to suppress his sniggers of delight as Kakashi twisted her ear around some more.

Futilely, Naruto tried to go with him to spare herself the stinging pain.

Needless to say, it didn't help.

Sasuke smirked when Naruto began whining.

"Kakashi-sensei. Leggo! Man, this _sucks!_"

* * *

Team Seven and Shisui leisurely walked the rest of the way to Konoha the next day. When they arrived, they checked in with the eternal Chunin gate guards, and made their way to the Hokage tower to report.

Kakashi and Shisui did most of the talking, both hinting to the blonde Kage that Naruto was mostly sane.

Weirdly, her dad kept shooting her looks from the corner of his eyes. Looking worried, as if he expected her to be upset with him or something.

_'What the hell is going on?'_

**'Perhaps that abomination of yours has been up to something behind your back?'**

_'No way... You think Harime's in the village?'_

**'She is you. The darker and more devious part. I would not be surprised if she was only in that coffin moments before you summoned it.'**

_'No way, you think she's been escaping?'_

**'Let me ask you this Naruto. Would that coffin be able to hold _you_?'**

Naruto's eyes widened at the realization.

_'Shit.'_

**'Precisely.'**

Naruto had no time to ponder this, as her father's office window shattered as a blur of red and black shot through it's surface.

Minato's three pronged kunai was through the left side of the intruder's neck before anyone could blink, Shisui's tanto slid into their back, piercing their heart, and Kakash had kunai through one of their kidneys.

"U-ugh!" Blood soaked through Naruto's safety pin mask as she coughed.

She stumbled back, the clawed hand that had been buried in her abdomen painfully slid from her flesh with a wet squelch.

"Naruto!" Sasuke and Sakura gasped, horrified.

The redhead was caught before she could fall, and lowered gently to the floor as the person kneeled.

She stared up into that familiar oceanic eye.

"What the hell man?" She croaked, allowing her other half to pull her bloodied mask from her lips.

Harime smiled down at her creator, as if she didn't have pointy things stabbed through various places on her person.

"D-did you just... t-tear out my l-liver?" Naruto stuttered, her vision fogging over at its borders.

"Haha! Yeah, it smelled rotten Naru-chan, so you can have mine!"

Repulsed, everyone watched as the pigtailed redhead pulled a tag from the bodice of her gothic lolita dress, and carelessly tossed it over her shoulder.

It attached itself to the air, and a cubic glass like barrier erected around the redheaded duo, keeping everyone out.

Shadows slithered from the corners of the room, working their way under the barrier, and speared the cheerfully smiling cyclops in the back.

She didn't even twitch as they tossed away the weapons in her body. The living darkness then began ripping open the flesh of Harime's back, exposing the milky nobs of her spinal cord, and the white cage around her contracting lungs.

Sakura wretched in the background, looking away, only to notice Harime and pulled Naruto's liver from her body, and dropped it at Minato's feet.

"What the hell is going on Sensei?" Kakashi nearly snarled, glaring daggers at the redhead that had mortally wounded his student.

Shisui's lips pursed bleakly as he watched the shadows rip out all of Harime's insides, not just her liver, spraying everything in a three foot radius with blood. When the metallic fluid touched the barrier, it sizzled and melted away.

Sakura's knees knocked together loudly before they lost their strength, and Sasuke seemed a bit green himself. His sharingan was activated, spinning stressfully with three fully acquired tomoe.

Two blobs of darkness came up from Harime's sides, forming scalpels that cut through Naruto, before morphing into hands; pulling out the rotten flesh that lay within. Everything below her lungs was tinged with black, signifying their state of decay. The shadow hands pulled away Naruto's decaying insides, placing them within Harime instead.

The shadows gently and precisely placed Harime's entrails within Naruto, before sewing her closed, leaving a fleshy jigsaw puzzle of darkness on her skin.

Minato looked away as Naruto hacked, speckling Harime's masked face with red.

"Why...?" Naruto choked on blood, and her other half tenderly tilted her head to the side, so the fluid harmlessly seeped out of her mouth, and down the side of her face. "Harime, why didn't you just wait until I got home? No one else needed to see this..."

Harime giggled, gently wiping the blood from Naruto's lips.

"Silly Naru-chan! I couldn't have you second guessing yourself. You do that a lot, you know?"

Naruto rapsed a painful laugh.

"Yes, I know." She admitted, misty eyes fluttering as they fought to stay open. "That's what I need you for."

"Shhhh, hai hai~" Harime cooed, pale as death, but still stroked Naruto's identical face with a heartbreaking amount of tenderness. "I am strong enough for the both of us. So let me protect you, Naruto."

"Har-"

Naruto's eyes slowly slipped closed as Harime placed a sleeping jutsu upon her.

"Konohamaru!" The cyclops barked.

Everyone flinched as the double doors burst open, and a little boy wearing a green knitted scarf confidently strode in.

"Good Kami in heaven what have you done to her!?" The little boy exclaimed, abhorred, immediately going green at the sight of the rotting innards and ashes strewn about the floor.

"I took out the trash." Harime answered flatly. "Now do as we agreed."

"It'll save Sis, right?" Konohamaru asked, wavering slightly.

"Yes!" The cyclops hissed. "Now do it!"

The boy nodded, ignoring everyone in the room as he ran through hand seals, and drew a seal in the blood soaking through the floor.

"Here goes!" The young Sarutobi called, slamming his hand down into the blood. "**Fuuinjutsu** **Style: Coffin Summoning**!"

Konohamaru stumbled back as a cherry red coffin rose from the blazing blue symbols on the floor.

Harime's shadows went wild, and swallowed both she and Naruto.

"Naruto!" Shisui couldn't help but blurt.

Minato gritted his teeth in restraint, knowing this was helping his little girl, even if it looked heinous.

Kakashi was wondering what the _fuck_ was going on, but _knowing_ Minato would do something if it was really bad.

And Sasuke and Sakura looked one second from passing out.

When the swelling of the darkness went down, Naruto lay on the floor, lips tinged blue with fatigue, sunshine blonde hair cascading from her scalp and soaked in blood.

The Fuuinjutsu barrier flickered and died out, the tag fluttering to the floor before bursting into flame, curling up and collapsing to ash.

Naruto's blue-green eyes were peacefully closed, her chest rising and falling as she purred in a deep slumber, even as more shadows tore from within the opening coffin, and coiled around her limbs.

No one moved as the newly revealed blonde teen was dragged into the depths of the coffin, and the door slammed closed.

Konohamaru turned too the Hokage, and scowled.

"Harime told me everything." He stated, expression thunderous.

Minato's face aged ten years as he frowned.

"Sasuke, Sakura." The blonde Kage called. "Forget what you saw here and return home immediately until further notice. Shisui and Kakashi are needed here."

No one argued.

The two shaken Genin left the Hokages office with vacant eyes and ghostly complextions.

Konohamaru crossed his arms as the double doors clicked shut.

Minato better hope Naruto would be fine in that coffin as she healed.

If not? Well...

His big sis had taught him a few things.

* * *

**Important question peeps. Do you prefer female Naruto a redhead, or a blonde?**

**Til next time.**


	19. Shinobi Revelations

**Huh, lots of redhead lovers. **

**This chapter is me filling up plot holes. The flashbacks (sections in italics) are _NOT_ in order. But, order isn't needed to understand the story.**

**I don't own Naruto. **

**I hate this chapter. :(**

* * *

The Fourth flinched, sensing the chakra signatures of team seven plus Shisui approaching his office.

Cheeks flushed, he hurriedly placed the worn knitted doll he'd been staring wistfully at for the past hour (instead of doing his paperwork) into his desk drawer, and closed it, securing it with seals.

"Enter." The blonde man called in response to Kakashi's lazy knocking.

The double doors were pushed open, and a squad of trouble paraded into Minato's office to report.

If he knew what was in store for him, he might not have gotten out of bed that morning.

* * *

Minato used every concentration trick he knew to ignore the pungent scent of his daughter's blood in the air.

The blonde swallowed hard, stepping over the blackening, blood slicked liver leaking sickness onto the floor. He had been _so_ inexplicably horrified when Naruto began vomiting blood, only to find that someone had torn out one of her _organs_. He would've slit Harime's throat then and there if Naruto hadn't of been so calm about it. And after the sudden bloodthirsty rage fogging his mind cleared, Minato remembered that Harime _was_ Naruto, and that he _couldn't_ kill her.

The situation was _so_ beyond fucked up, Minato was about ready to call it quits and just hand the Third back his pointy hat, (somewhere lost in stacks of paperwork), and have a long talk with his daughter about _**not**_ splitting your own soul in two.

At the rate things were going, he'd be gray before he was forty.

Grappling with a strained sigh, the blonde man watched how compassionate Harime was with Naruto, even as they both bled out in his office, causing him monumental amounts of parental stress. He watched those treacherously clawed digits gently wipe away the blood pouring out of Naruto's slowly blueing lips.

Minato struggled to breathe normally, hearing those labored wet and ragged breaths rattling through his child's chest.

His stomach twisted, and his brain told- _no,_ screamed at him to _move_.

He had to move.

He _had_ to help his baby.

But he didn't.

He _couldn't_.

What could he do?

It was a stupid question, because the answer was simply nothing.

They could handle this. And though they _shouldn't _be able to, because Minato should've protected _all_ of Naruto from this agony, they knew what they were doing.

Minato clenched his teeth.

He focused on the redhead cradling her other half, and murmuring sweetly to her, teasingly almost.

"Silly Naru-chan! I couldn't have you second guessing yourself." Harime said, smiling slightly. "You do that a lot, you know?"

Naruto choked on blood as she laughed quietly.

"Yes, I know." She admitted, gifting the room with a sweet, bloodied smile. "That's what I need you for."

Minato's heart splintered.

"Shhhh. Hai hai~" The cyclops soothed. "I am strong enough for the both of us. So let me protect you, Naruto."

Harime was so strange...

She had been the one to cause Naruto the grievous wound she suffered from, yet, she was handling her other half like fine china, a beloved something so precious it deserved nothing less than the utmost care.

The Fourth was astonished.

Every part of Naruto, the original, and the evil, had goodness within them.

_'Kushina... I wish you could've been here. It's rough, but Naruto is a beautiful person... Our daughter... is beautiful.'_

But then, the shadows began dancing, smiting the swell of pride and love rising within him, and they tore both halves of his baby apart.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted Sakura had screamed, and Sasuke was struggling to hold in his vomit.

Kakashi and Shisui tensed helplessly, knowing they could do nothing to stop the carnage.

Minato hadn't moved.

No matter how _much_ he wanted to jump in and take the pain away.

This was something he _couldn't_ help Naruto with.

And it killed him.

He watched more and more of his child's blood soak through the fibers of his carpet, and swallowed. Minato had never been squeamish, but the heavy metallic scent, lingering like a malevolent specter in the office, was making his knees weak.

He felt queasy, like his limbs were so hollow they would fall off and float away. He was never squeamish, but knowing all of the blood and entrails in the room belonged to his child, made the Fourth feel absolutely sick to his stomach.

Naruto's blue-green eyes fluttered, struggling to remain open. She reached up, to her other half, and Harime gently caught her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Har-"

The cyclops put her to sleep with the last of her strength, and fiercely called the name of the Sandaime's grandson.

Konohamaru plowed in with a respectable amount of drive, and he and the cyclops went back and forth for a bit, the chocolate haired boy wavering at the worrying sight that was Naruto.

Though, hearing the strong reassurance that Naruto would be fine, helped more than Konohamaru to breathe normally again.

He knelt, skillfully drawing a seal in the squelching carpet, skillfully enough to impress the Fourth, and quickly wove his way through hand signs.

"**Fuuinjutsu Style: Coffin Summoning**!" The boy called, slapping his hand onto the bloody carpet, raising a beautiful and glossy black box of resting.

The shadows leapt into action.

"Naruto!" Shisui croaked, before he could stop himself.

Minato forced himself to stay back, and not rush to his child's aid.

Everyone watched in dread as the darkness devoured both of the Uzumaki teens.

After a moment, the shadows sank back to the floor, leaving a slumbering Naruto with newly waist long golden locks spilling from her scalp lying on the floor.

The barrier broke down, sealing tag harmlessly drifting to the floor and burning out.

The coffin clicked open, and more unnaturally active shadows spilled out, slithering around Naruto's limbs to drag her into the seal no doubt lying within the box.

Minato was on autopilot by then, and Sasuke and Sakura shuffled home with ghostly complexions and sick stomachs.

* * *

"-and you already know that you came here to report, and Harime showed up to join their split souls again." Minato finished.

Kakashi blinked, his keen mind processing all of the information he was just given.

Shisui stuffed his hands in his pockets, having guessed as much.

Konohamaru simply walked over to the closed coffin still standing smack dab in the middle of the bloodshed. He rounded the large box, biting his thumb with a grimace, and smearing the small bead of crimson down a sealing array carved into the back of the coffin.

He glared at Kakashi, Minato, and Shisui.

"Harime designed this coffin just for Naruto." The little boy began, "It has a pocket dimension inside of it. Inside, Naruto will be sleeping, recovering from having her soul sewn back together, and adapting to Harime's organs, even if technically, they're hers, having grown from her original right eye."

The chocolate haired Sarutobi added chakra to the seal his blood occupied, causing the coffin to sink into the floor, back into the seal from which it'd come.

The little boy didn't even flinch when Minato shot him a glare.

"I'm gonna protect big sis while she sleeps." Konohamaru declared, turning to the three men in the room. "With my own hands."

His charcoal eyes narrowed as he scowled.

"None of you cared to keep her safe when it really mattered, so you shouldn't be surprised I don't trust any of you to do it now."

With that, Konohamaru stormed out of the Hokage's office, double doors slamming behind his retreating form.

The three stunned shinobi remaining, sagged under the truth of those words.

They had failed.

* * *

_"Without you, I wouldn't have the reputation of never failing a mission."_

* * *

_Shisui rushed through the trees, completing the fastest and longest chain of the body flicker jutsu he ever did, desperately trying to get back to the village._

_Naruto was limp in his arms, her legs and arms bloody and singed stumps, having previously blown herself up to save the mission, and make sure all the targets were dead._

_She had succeeded._

_'But at what cost?' Shisui thought miserably._

_Rain drenched the bloodied pair in relentless icey buckets from above, and thunder rumbled in the smokey clouds._

_"You're crazy!" The Uchiha hissed, sharingan eyes wide and frantic, weeping ribbons of crimson as he forced them to remain activated in his exhaustion._

_"So fucking crazy Naruto!"_

_Naruto just groaned faintly, free of her chronic mission induced craze, eyes squeezed shut as rain pelted her face like frozen needles. The redhead turned her pale face slightly to press herself further into Shisui's soaked jumpsuit._

_The young man cursed as his chakra exhaustion made his shunshin cancel mid-jump, causing him to lose his footing among the trees, and plummet to the forest floor._

_Shisui gritted his teeth, flipping around to take the brunt of the fall, and he gasped as he did just that, something in his upper back splintered, and he coughed, red spurting from his lips._

_Naruto's limbless form lied sprawled, face down across Shisui's chest, still as death._

_Her hair spilled around them, weighed down heavily with the rain._

_The Uchiha grabbed her upper arm weakly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, and made a slow agonizing journey to a nearby tree, using his legs alone to get there. Panting with exertion, Shisui pressed his partner's face into the side of his neck._

_"Naruto..." Shisui wheezed, blood speckling his lips, washed away by the rain. "Naruto... stay awake. We're... almost there... we're almost home..."_

_The Uchiha sat there against the slippery bark of the tree, trying to catch his breath, his chest pressed against Naruto's, tuned into the weak thrumming of her heart._

_Shisui slipped his hand through her sodden locks, tilting her head up to see her face. Glazed seafoam eyes stared back at the Uchiha listlessly, her mouth parted slightly, struggling to take oxygen into her failing lungs._

_He was pale, but Naruto was blue._

_"Damnit!" Shisui panted, wincing as his ribs throbbed something fierce._

_"Damnit Naruto, say something!"_

_The redhead cough faintly, looking remarkably pained doing something so simple, before she murmured something incorrigible._

_"What...?" Shisui asked, face contorted in pain and concentration. He buried his other hand through Naruto's hair, hoisting the redhead up against him, and guiding her face to his ear. The younger ROOT nin's chapped lips moved sluggishly against the shell of his ear._

_"A...ne...mi...a..." Naruto rasped._

_"Blood?" Shisui said, forcing himself to remain in a sitting position. "That's all you need?"_

_Naruto released a broken sound that should've been laughter._

_"I'... 'oesn't... 'ork like... that... 'Sui-kun... wha I 'eed... y-you... can't 'ive to m-me... I 'eed... a trans... fu... sion.. B-but... there's... n-no... time... I'm d-dying..."_

_Naruto's voice was so small, and she struggled with every word, slurring and drunk on pain, her partner having a hard time translating what she was saying. But when he finally did get it, he was not happy._

_"Fuck that!" Shisui rebutted fiercely. "We'll make it work like that! We'll make time! And you're not dying Naruto!"_

_Naruto chuckled weakly again, using all of her strength to lift her head up, and press their foreheads together._

_She stared directly into Shisui's passionate obsidian eyes._

_And she smiled._

_"S-so... dra...ma...tic, 'Sui-kun..." Naruto slurred. "Jus' for...g-get... me. I-I'm... d-dead... weight..."_

_"Don't ever say anything like that again." Shisui glowered. "Never Naruto."_

_He ignored the widening of her eyes, and shifted at bit, wincing as he disturbed his bruised ribs, and drew the tanto from the sheath at his back._

_"You're blood devours anyone else's, and it becomes yours, right?" The Uchiha asked, slitting his left wrist after arranging Naruto around so her back leaned against his chest._

_"Y-yeah... But... wha'... 'oes t-that... have...to d-do... with anythin'...?" The redhead asked, breathing labored, drousily eyeing Shisui's bleeding wrist. "Why'd... you... 'ut yourself... 'Sui...?"_

_"Does that apply if someone's blood is inside you?" Shisui asked, instead of answering._

_Naruto's heavy breathing hitched._

_"Wha' are... you... planning... 'Sui...?"_

_"I know it's sick, and totally gross, but you've never had any problems excepting that kind of stuff. So... I want you to drink my blood, Naruto. Use my blood to replace the blood you lost."_

_"It'll... never... 'ork...! There's... no way... that's... possible...!" The redhead exclaimed between huffs._

_"It's totally logical!" The Uchiha argued firmly. "Your blood takes over in someone else's body, so it'll eliminate foreign blood in your body as well, so drink!"_

_Naruto squirmed, pulling her head away as her partner shoved his bleeding wound into her face. Her lips turned down in distaste, frowning at the neatly split flesh presented before her mouth._

_"I...'an't..." She finally said._

_"That's fine. Because I can."_

_Shisui held Naruto's head in place as he pressed his bleeding wrist against her pursed lips._

_Naruto choked, face contorting as the metallic taste of blood slid past her lips._

_She flailed around weakly, the stumps that should've been her limbs doing nothing to give her any real leverage to get away._

_"I'm sorry Naruto..." Shisui whispered as his partner gagged, unintentionally gulping down globules of his blood._

_The hissing rain carried away the sound of Naruto's choking as the Uchiha shushed her apologetically._

_Blood forced its way past her singed stumps, blobbish tendrils beginning to form new limbs._

_"Just go to sleep." Shisui murmured. "When you wake up, we'll be home. I promise."_

_Flesh crept over the new bones forming around the blood sprouting from Naruto's stumps, but she didn't know this, as she was already slumped by the sleeping jutsu Shisui placed on her._

_"You'll thank me later, Naruto."_

* * *

_"Of course I love you, you're my daughter."_

* * *

_"Daddy!" A melodious voice chirped, a blonde blurr shooting into his home office._

_Minato stopped himself from lighting up like a Christmas tree._

_Naruto plowed into his office with something in her arms, and skipped around his desk, grinning up at him with one missing front tooth._

_The Fourth inwardly cooed at his adorable child as she beamed up at him._

_"What is it, Naruto?" He ask neutrally, instead of smothering his baby in kisses like he really wanted to._

_He felt a pang inside his heart as he watched Naruto struggle with her disappointed expression, reminding himself that hurting Naruto now, would save her later._

_It was for her own good._

_Naruto was smiling again, but Minato noticed it was dimmed._

_It was fake._

_'It's better this way... I **know** it is... right...?'_

_His child shoved something soft into his arms, and hurriedly moved back to fold her arms abashedly behind her back at her boldness._

_Minato raised a perfect blonde brow as his eyes met the large blue button one's of the beige knitted doll his child had forced into his lap._

_Naruto scuffed the floor with her sandal, and figitted, a nervous blush blazing across her cheeks._

_The doll was knitted with care, even though the Fourth could see a small few gaps here and there, or a loop was slightly too tight. The side of Minato's mouth twitched upward, noticing the stitching holding the doll together was a bit off, but sturdy._

_If he thought about it, it was amazing Naruto could create something on this level that wasn't poorly made._

_The doll had a mass of yellow yarn sprouting out of it's big head, painted red at the tips, and wore a mini version of Naruto's favorite white shirt with the Uzumaki spiral stitched on the front, and orange shorts. It's blue button eyes had careful mint green paint lining the bottoms, an attempt to replicate Naruto's blue green eyes. Simple, thick black stitching curved up in a smile on the toy's face._

_Minato looked back up at his daughter, noticing the red and green paint fingerprints wiped off on the sides of her orange shorts, the messy bun her long blonde locks were tucked into, and the band-aids wrapped snugly around every one of her little fingers. She even had a little paint brush with the same red and green smears on it tucked behind her right ear._

_Minato's heart melted._

_"I-I made her, after I made my own- 'is name is Mina-chan by da way- 'cause da girls at da academy 'idn't want to pway with me." Naruto pouted noticeably, before perking up again a moment later. "But whatever, Nawuto Uzumaki doesn't need those bozos, 'ttebayo!"_

_Minato recoiled slightly at the familiar verbal tick, before his eyes softened._

_"I have Mina-chan Daddy." Naruto said. "So when you need someone like me, you have Uzu-chan."_

_The Fourth found himself blinking away tears as Naruto rushed forward and stole a fierce hug._

_"I love you Daddy." Naruto whimpered, tearing herself away from him and rushing out of his office, stubbornly wiping away at her moistened eyes with her forearm._

_Minato hugged Uzu-chan close to his heart, sensing Naruto's chakra had reached the back door of his estate._

_He pressed his lips to Uzu's yarn hair, wishing it was the real shinning blonde waves of his daughter's._

_"I love you too, Naruto."_

* * *

_"Why hello there, Konohamaru."_

* * *

_The youngest Sarutobi stared blankly at the cyclops lounging on his sister's couch._

_He blinked slowly, before he crossed his arms, and furrowed his brows thoughtfully._

_"So you're telling me, you've got half of Naruto's soul, technically you are Naruto, and your father is a neglectful sonofabitch?"_

_"Pretty much, yeah." Harime shrugged, picking lazily at her perfectly shaped claws._

_"And you also want me to help you merge with Naruto, to stop her plan to stop Danzo, the guy who tortured her since like, ever?"_

_"Precisely." The cyclops smiled, all jagged edges and unspoken threats._

_Konohamaru resisted the urge to shiver. The cyclops may have had Naruto's eye, but the way she used it to look at people made it seem she was mentally stripping them of skin, so she could gaze at their exposed entrails and fantasize about new ways to mutilate them._

_Naruto was creepy sometimes yeah, but Harime was just wrong._

_"So anyways, Naruto's plan to ruin Danzo was to just expose all of his stolen jutsu and experimentation, right?" Konohamaru continued, distracting himself from his dark thoughts._

_"Yes. Only, after beating the stuffing out of him first." Harime snickered._

_"'Kay, I've got that. So, what's your plan to destroy Danzo? From what I can tell, he's not an easy target."_

_Harime arched a dark brow._

_"You're taking this rather well." She observed._

_Konohamaru sighed, sounding much more old and weary then someone as young as him should be allowed to._

_"Honestly, it's taking everything I've got to not drop in a dead faint right now." The boy admitted, his face lacking all color. "And I would, but I'm afraid of what you'll do to me once I'm unconscious."_

_Harime giggled deceptively behind her hand._

_"Not much, honest!" She said, eye smiling insincerely. "Naru-chan would never forgive me if I actually hurt you."_

_"That's encouraging." The Sarutobi muttered bitterly._

_"Its something." Harime shrugged again, entirely unapologetic._

_"So anyways, your plan." Konohamaru reminded her._

_Harime's razor mouth curled deeply as she smirked._

_"Don't worry your little head about that, Konohamaru. Just know, even if I have no actual flesh, when Naruto returns and we merge, it will not be the last you see of me."_

_Eyeing her grin, Konohamaru shuddered, deeply disturbed._

_He believed her._

_'Danzo, I almost pity you.'_

* * *

_She was sure it wasn't the last she'd be seeing of those two._

* * *

_Zabuza Momochi looked up from the sign up form he'd been reading, then back up at the beautiful lava haired woman that would serve as his Kage._

_"Heh. Chunin Exams you say?" Zabuza grinned roughishly, disturbing the bandages around his mouth. "When do they start?"_

_"In three months. They are being held in Konoha this time around." Mei Terumi said, glossy violet lips tilting in a seductive half smile. "So, what do you say to beginning the process of Mist rebuilding it's respect?"_

_"Well, I know what I think." Zabuza laughed, looking to his left at his companion. "What do you think, Haku? Should we pay my favorite tree hugging psycho a visit?"_

_Haku smiled and inclined his head in soft agreement._

"Of course Zabuza-sama. After all, we never did finish our fight."


	20. The Murderer and The Demon

**Hey guys, I just escaped from my prison made of cinnamon sugar waffles, with only A&amp;W root beer to drink, seeing as Incarnation of Insanity kindl- ahem, I-I mean... **_**heartlessly**_** banished me there.**

**I barely escaped with my life, and dragged myself to the nearest computer to upload this. **

**Song: Last Resort by Papa Roach (which can't I say I own, because that would be a lie, with jail time or a fine sprinkled on top).**

**I don't own Naruto.**

***Goes into sugar induced coma***

* * *

Harime smiled down at Naruto's sleeping face, feeling the unnaturally warm blanket of shadows she had summoned crawling over her skin, vibrating with chakra as it broke her flesh down to her last defining molecule.

Beneath the cover of the shadows tendrils of darkness dragged Naruto's strewn about innards closer, placing them within Harime even as she began to dissolve. When the shadows faded, all that would be left was Naruto and splatters of blood.

The cyclops' eye widened as she felt Naruto's heart stutter, and stop beneath her.

She knew Kurama couldn't restart Naruto's heart, because his chakra flow was focused on keeping her body's decay from affecting her new organs.

The fox had enough on his plate.

So, she would help him.

With the last of her strength, Harime sank her rapidly departiclizing claws between the valley of her breasts, her hand scraped past the guard of her ribcage, sliding around the slick thumping flesh there.

And then...

She did what she had to do.

She switched her heart, with Naruto's decayed one.

A moment later, a violet light seeped into Naruto's chest.

Harime ripped out her only eye, sealing it into a storage seal on Naruto's left shoulder for future use. They thought similarly, so Harime _knew._ Once Naruto sensed what lied within it, what Harime had hidden inside of it, her creator would use it to her advantage.

One last discharge of chakra burst from the cyclops, jolting the blonde's freshly sewn in organ into action.

Perhaps slicing your soul in half caused inevitable death, but a little shard in living flesh? Oh, one would be surprised with what was possible when part of their soul was hidden within something else.

With a slight smile, Harime disappeared, eaten away by shadows.

Naruto, was sealed inside a coffin.

* * *

Azure blues slowly slid open.

Naruto twisted around, floating in a thick darkness, like a feather on a breeze.

"Where the hell am I?" She asked herself.

"Haha, deep in your subconscious, Naru-chan."

Naruto's eyes bugged out as her other half materialized in front of her, stark naked, her blood red hair free of it's usual pigtails.

Her missing eye was closed, and her claws were normal blunt nails.

She drifted closer to Naruto, catching a lock of the bright blonde hair cascading from her original's scalp.

"Uzumakis' are proven to have chronic albinism, which is why they have such lightly pigmented eyes and skin. But their hair always comes out red, because of the clan's bloodlimit. Your hair was blonde, and you have Daddy's eyes, so your hair only became red when you awakened Blood Release."

"Why are you saying that like I don't already know it?" Naruto asked, raising a blonde brow.

"When an Uzumaki dies, their hair turns white, because Blood Release cancels itself in their genes automatically so it can't be copied or experimented on. But, because yours was originally blonde, that's what it went back to."

"Harime, I know this." Naruto said flatly, missing the connotations.

"But you're not dead, Naruto-chan." Her other half continued, not missing a beat. "So why is your hair blonde?"

The blonde recoiled slightly, causing her golden locks to spill through Harime's fingers.

"It's because you _were_ dead." Harime answered her own question. "When we began to merge, you died, Naruto. But I replaced my heart with yours, and you were okay again. You're just sleeping."

Naruto blinked at her other half, having been asleep from Harime's jutsu, she obviously hadn't known that last bit.

"Wow." She said, not knowing how to respond. "Thanks...?"

Harime waved her off, grinning with her cannibalistic teeth.

"Your hair will turn red again, Naru-chan. As long as you're alive, it won't be blonde. Or... at least it _shouldn't_ be."

The blonde didn't say anything, because honestly, she didn't care _what_ color her hair was, as long as it wasn't something horrendous, like bubblegum _pink_.

"When you leave your subconscious, we're both gonna train."

Naruto crossed her arms, realizing she was nude as well.

"Training in my mind would be pointless, Harime." She stated.

"No no Naru-chan." Harime chided, giggling behind her hand. "You'll wake up in the pocket dimension inside the coffin I had Konohamaru seal you inside."

The blonde instantly bugged out.

"You met Konohamaru!?" She screeched. "What did you do to him!?"

Harime pouted.

"Naruto, I'm wounded. Do you really think me to be so evil?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you were the embodiment of my own evil." Naruto retorted dryly.

The cyclops' single eye slid away evasively, before she looked at Naruto again.

"When we leave your subconscious, you will gain all of my memories from the moment you split us apart."

Naruto blinked for a moment, before she nodded slowly.

"'Kay so, when I wake up, what will I be training for? I couldn't help but notice you've got a few tricks I _should_ know about."

A single azure eye looked at her innocently, as if the entity it belonged to didn't realize Naruto was referring to their manipulation of shadows.

"Hey hey Naru-chan, guess what~?" Harime sang, changing the subject with false cheer. "I took the liberty of sealing new clothes for you inside your coffin, 'cause I knew tearing you apart would be messy."

"It's really disturbing that you can look so harmless while saying something like that." The blonde uttered flatly.

Her other half just shrugged, shameless as usual.

"So, obviously you've been getting out of your box, and have been dipping into Danzo's jutsu library." Naruto spoke up, quickly growing tired of skeptically eyeing her cyclone doppelganger. "But, I don't really care about that. I just want to know _why_."

"If you want so badly to know, Naruto-chan, you've gotta wake up." Harime giggled.

Naruto scowled, and turned her nose up in disapproval.

"How the hell am I going to get out of a pocket dimension?" She grumbled.

"Don't worry about that Naru-chan." Harime snickered darkly. "Konohamaru will take care of that."

Naruto shook her head.

"What are you up to, Harime?" She wondered aloud.

When her other half only smiled innocently, Naruto knew.

Only time would tell.

* * *

Three months later, one young Sarutobi stood in the middle of one Naruto Uzumaki's kitchen. Kakashi had just left through the living room window from which he'd come, dropping off a Chunin Exam sign up form for Naruto.

The bastard had waited a week before the Exams started to actually say something about them. After he dropped off Naruto's form, he poofed away to tell her teammates about the Exams.

Shaking his head, Konohamaru pulled a kunai from the pouch around his waist, sliding the blade across his right palm, and wincing slightly when it's razor edge cleanly parted his flesh.

He clenched his fist, squeezing the crimson droplets onto the tiled floor, dropping into a crouch a moment later to draw out a complicated seal.

Summoning a good amount of chakra, the young boy pressed his fingers against the bloody symbols, igniting them with blue flames.

Konohamaru quickly stumbled back as a black cherry red coffin rose from his seals, the blue flames dancing around the bottom of it, making it seem as if he'd just summoned a demon from hell.

The box clicked open.

The flames died down, smoke rising from their departure, masking the form of the person who stepped out of the coffin.

In the middle of thinking she looked badass, Konohamaru deadpanned as Naruto stumbled out in a pair of ratty black underwear, dripping with sweat, and coughing, fanning smoke away from her face.

She had a shredded black jumpsuit tossed over her shoulder, and a new outfit in her arms, as well as a different pair of sandals in each hand. One of the pair of sandals was torn and worn down.

"Hey squirt." Naruto choked, dropping a kiss onto his forehead, before tossing her beat up sandals and jumpsuit into the kitchen waste basket.

_'Naruto you are such a dork.' _The kid thought fondly.

"How long have I been out?" The teen asked.

"Three months. Kakashi-san dropped off a Chunin Exam form for you a while ago."

"Wicked." She grinned.

Naruto sniffed her pits, and recoiled sharply, gagging violently. "Why do I always _do_ that?" She muttered.

Smiling, Konohamaru shook his head.

"You gonna sign up?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Naruto said, shambling off towards the living room.

The young teen dropped her new clothes onto the couch, then went off to her bathroom for a shower.

"Hey Naru." Konohamaru called flatly, trailing after her.

"Hmm?" She hummed.

"Why are you naked?" The boy asked, eyeing the intricate angel wings and flames tattooed into her back.

There wasn't even a scar.

But Konohamaru knew he'd seen her in pieces in the Fourth's office.

Pursing his lips, the boy shook his head, knowing Naruto would tell him why she seemed to bounce back from everything if he was really supposed to know.

"Training." She answered vaguely, shedding her underwear and hopping into her tub.

She slid the shower door closed after her, switching the hot water on.

Konohamaru crossed his arms, raising a brow, even though he knew she couldn't see it.

"You trained in a coffin?"

"There's a pocket dimension in there. Lot's of space to screw around in, y'know?" She called over the the steaming spray. "I'm gonna get clean, and get back in there. So I want you to go get into trouble and summon me. So I can look like a total badass."

"What?" Konohamaru squawked. "_Why_?"

"Why else kid? The Chunin Exams are near." She said in a smirking tone. "There's bound to be a few shinobi from other villages roaming around."

The boy sighed explosively.

"You're never gonna change, are you Naruto?"

Naruto snorted.

"Do you _want_ me to?"

Konohamaru smirked.

"No. No I don't."

* * *

Sakura fumed as the Third's grandson shot off like a rocket, snickering all the way as she chased him for pointing out her forehead.

"Ow!" Someone yelped.

"Oh crap man, my bad!" The brat exclaimed.

"You think you're funny, you little punk? I can see that stupid ass smirk!"

Sakura squeaked as she stumbled in on two Sand ninja. Both slightly older, a boy with purple face paint and a catsuit and a pretty girl with dirty blonde hair parted in four pigtails.

The catsuit wearing boy had the Third's grandson by the front of his shirt, lifted up from the ground entirely, snarling into the younger boy's face.

The kid held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Jeez man, I said I was sorry! Chill out!"

"Yeah? Well sorry ain't gonna cut it brat. 'Cause I _know_ you did that on purpose." Facepaint growled. "So I'm gonna teach your little ass a lesson in manners."

"Kankuro cut it out!" The girl with him snapped. "He said sorry so just let it go already!"

"Y-yeah!" Sakura finally spoke up, hands clasped worriedly before her chest. "Please let him go! I'm sure he didn't mean it, I was chasing him, so he probably wasn't paying any attention."

"Who the hell are you?" Kankuro barked at the pinkette, making her flinch.

"Who cares about forehead!" The little boy exclaimed.

"Hey!" Sakura protested.

"All I know is, you better let me go if you know what's good for you." The boy continued cockily.

"Oh yeah?" Kankuro snarled. "And what are you gonna do if I _don't_, midget?"

"Kankuro!" The Sand girl hissed.

"Shut up Temari. I've _got_ this."

"Whatever." Temari huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm not involved. Your on your own when _he_ comes."

"Pfft." Kankuro scoffed. "_He's_ not even here. Besides, turning this brat to hamburger won't take but a second." As if to prove this, the male Sand nin cocked his fist back to strike the "defenseless" child.

"I warned you." The 'midget' said, shrugging with blatant insincerity. "It's not what _I'll_ do, but what _she'll_ do."

Both Sand ninja's eyes widened slightly.

Temari opened her mouth first.

"Who-"

The little boy pulled a crumpled paper from his pants pocket, smoothing it out before channeling chakra into it.

He dropped it to the dirt ground when it burst into blue flames.

Sakura wrinkled her nose as she noticed the symbols on it were drawn in blood.

The Sand nin dropped the Third's grandson as the flames roared, giving birth to a coffin.

The young Sarutobi crowed in delight, scurrying back as the flames died down and the coffin disappeared.

Standing between the young boy and catsuit wonder was a redheaded teen.

She stood with her arms confidently crossed, and her left hip cocked in a sassy manner.

Her blood red locks fell down to her waist in loose waves, two neat braids with sunshine blonde streaks lead from her temples to the back of her head, twisted into an intricate bun that was kept together by a ring of senbon. The redhead wore a quarter sleeved half mesh top under a black coat that fell just below her knees. The shirt showed off her artful sugar skull tattoo just above her left hip, and diamond belly stud.

Everyone gawked, except for the young Sarutobi.

He just looked rather pleased with himself.

The summoned girl's coat was high collared, not unlike the fabled Yellow Flash's, sleeveless, and it's coattail had smokey red skull designs on it, mouths open like keening lost souls. Her legs were clad in tight black shinobi pants that stopped below the knee. Small black prayer beads with swirls of crimson were wrapped twice around her hips like a belt, and her feet bore blood red shinobi sandals with silver zippers traveling up the front of them.

The back of her coat, had an odd one eyed theater mask in burnt orange painted on the back, designed so it looked like dripping blood splatter. The Uzumaki swirl was emblazoned in it's single socket, and a wide stitched grin was stretched across it's face.

Sakura squinted, reading the back of the girl's coat.

The kanji for 'rag doll' was written in the same burnt orange just beneath the mask design.

"Now what do we have here?" The girl drawled.

The pinkette gawked, recognizing the girl's voice.

"N-_Naruto_!?" Sakura choked.

Naruto threw a look over her shoulder, wearing a plain black face mask instead of her usual one. She smirked at her pinkette teammate with her eyes.

The redhead turned back to the gawking Sand shinobi, cocking her head slightly to study their forms exaggeratedly.

"A blonde butch," She glanced at Temari. "And an ugly drag queen." She finished with Kankuro.

The two Sand nin flushed in fury.

"You bitch!" Kankuro spat, reaching for the bandaged bundle on his back.

"Kankuro!" Temari growled, even though she was obviously wanting a piece of Naruto as well. "Don't bring out Karasu here you moron!"

"Stuff it Temari, this slut is _mine_!"

Nobody had time to blink before Naruto had hold of his face, and had him clean off his feet, back pressed against the tall picket fence they were standing next to.

The silver, ruby eyed skull rings on her pinky and pointer finger gleamed in the evening sunlight.

She stared up at her captive with devilish red and black eyes that crinkled with a hidden sinister grin, straining with glowing red veins.

"No," Naruto said chidingly. "I think it's _you_ who's _mine_, little kitty."

"Temari!" Kankuro yelped, not daring to move, as he felt that if he did, the girl would crush his face with her hand alone.

Temari, now sweating bullets, reached for the battle fan on her back.

But, she soon found... she couldn't move.

Turning her head, Temari choked on a scream at the pitch black face that grinned at her with razor teeth.

A white light beamed from inside it's maw, and it stared into her eyes with the soulless glowing red pits of its own.

"Now now, there's no need for that, is there?" The _thing_ giggled, it's voice a warped version of a little girl's, and a heinous beast.

It had drill-like tendrils sprouting from either side of its head, swaying from a nonexistent breeze, and tickling at the side of Temari's face, as if they had wills of their own.

"Now kitty, you weren't thinking of hurting my innocent little brother, were you?" Naruto asked.

"N-no! O-of course n-not!" Kankuro sputtered.

Naruto's eyes arched as she smiled.

"I'm glad, because if you were, that means I'd have to tear you limb from limb."

She released his face, causing him to fall roughly on his bum with a deep wince.

Kankuro gingerly cupped his cheeks, grimacing as he brushed the ugly black bruises in the shape of Naruto's hand.

Eyes still smiling, Naruto stepped back, and the razor mouthed thing she'd set on Temari slithered down the Sand kunoichi's back, leaving a trail of unnatural warmth in its wake. The Sand kunoichi shuddered as the thing sank into the ground, sloshing away to pool around Naruto's feet, making her shadow radiate living darkness like a threatening smog.

Naruto lifted her face slightly, sniffing the air.

"Yummy~" She cooed, making everyone but Konohamaru shiver. "Naru-chan smells blood~"

She rose a brow.

"With a hint of desert on the side? Nice." The teen smiled.

She crossed her arms again as a whirlwind of sands materialized before her, revealing a short boy with the same blood red hair as herself. It was cropped short to his skull, heavy insomnia smudges stained around his merciless seafoam eyes, and a red kanji for love was carved into the side of his forehead.

Intrigued, Naruto took note of the large gourd on his back, and his cold, expressionless face.

Sasuke, who had been hidden in a tree nearby, recoiled, sensing the red headed boy's shunshin had originated from beside him.

_'I didn't even know he was there...!' _The Uchiha fumed.

"G-Gaara!" Temari sputtered. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Y-yeah!" Kankuro lied. "They started it!"

Before Sakura could venomously bark what a bald face lie that was, Gaara icily silenced his teammates with a look.

"Shut up." The short teen commanded. "Or I'll kill you."

His two teammates nodded, clamping their mouths firmly closed.

"You two are a disgrace to our village." Gaara stated coldly.

Kankuro stumbled to his feet, and scurried to Temari's side to cower alongside her.

The blood haired Sand nin looked at Naruto blankly.

"I apologize for any trouble my teammates may have caused you." Gaara said, his flat tone telling exactly how much he was following a script, one given to use in this sort of situation.

Naruto shrugged, taking a page from Harime's book and smiling cheerfully with her eyes.

"That's okay." She waved him off forgivingly. "Just keep your meatbags under control if they want to keep their insides."

The redhead was intrigued by the flash of bloodlust in Gaara's seafoam eyes.

He practically breathed killing intent. But he had good control over his facial expressions.

It was interesting that the mere mention of bloodshed cracked his stoic mask.

It was also interesting to the redhead that no one questioned the presence of Harime. Perhaps the shock of the situation distracted them too much?

**'Naruto,' **Kurama rumbled.** 'Enough of your pointless musings. That boy reeks of my brother, Shukaku. Do not underestimate him.' **

_'Wasn't planning to.' _The redhead chirped._ 'Thanks for the heads up though. I've never met another Jinchuuriki before. This could be fun~"_

**'You would find this amusing you twisted girl. Just don't do anything foolish.' **The fox grumbled.

_'Kurama! I'm wounded.' _Naruto inwardly pouted. _'When have I ever done something stupid?'_

**'Hmph! Why don't you ask that abomination** **of yours?' **The Bijuu snarked.

His Jinchuuriki snickered, before returning fully to the matter at hand.

"Well, I'll be off then." Naruto said, taking hold of Konohamaru's hand, who had taken to hiding behind her at the appearance of Gaara.

"Wait."

This halted the masked redhead.

She looked at Gaara over her shoulder.

"Yes...?" She dragged out.

"What is your name?"

"It's polite to give your name first before you ask for someone else's." Sasuke butted in, hopping from his perch in his tree to land quietly at Naruto's side.

Naruto refrained from rolling her eyes.

"I am Sabaku no Gaara." The blood haired boy intoned, not looking away from Naruto for a second. "And you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto." She jabbed a thumb at the Uchiha next to her. "Uchiha Sasuke." Then the pinkette behind her. "Haruno Sakura."

Gaara nodded.

"Will you be participating in the Chunin Exams?" He asked flatly.

An entire minute went by in absolute silence.

Both Jinchuuriki stared with unblinking haunted eyes.

Just as everyone in the vicinity was ready to crack, they blinked in unison.

"I look forward to testing myself against you then, Naruto Uzumaki." Gaara said suddenly.

"Likewise." The redhead muttered.

Both Jinchuuriki turned, creepily acting in unison once more, and walked off.

* * *

Naruto walked Konohamaru home, and returned to her apartment.

She disrobed down to her undergarments and went into The Gallows, where her personal coffin was.

"Naru-chan?" Harime's pigtailed head rose up from her shadow, the once cyclopean doppelganger now made of the darkness itself.

"Whats wrong?"

Naruto shook her head, opening the latch on her coffin, revealing a distorted film of black and violet. It writhed around sluggishly, signifying there was a pocket dimension sealed inside the resting box.

"I needed that distraction Konohamaru gave me. Because I've got a _lot_ of shit on my mind right now." Naruto answered quietly, running weary hands over her pale face.

_"I'm a horrible dad, and I regret it everyday. But I ignored you, because I wanted to protect you."_

Naruto bit her bare lips until they bled.

"Naru...?" Harime probed, uncertain.

_"You're my daughter, and I love you. That will never change."_

The redhead scowled.

"How... how am I supposed to deal with this?" She murmured. "_How?_"

"Naruto!" Harime blurted. "Naruto, what's wrong?"

_"I love all of you."_

Naruto flinched, and she slapped her hands over her mouth.

Her jaw ached, and her eyes stung, but nothing came of it.

She didn't remember how to cry.

The redhead began pacing frantically, and running her hands through her hair repeatedly, loosening the two braids there.

She didn't know what to do.

She didn't know what to think. What to _feel_.

Naruto jerked to a stop.

So she would do something she did best.

She ran into the coffin to train, and pull her mind away from her new memories.

Harime's glowing red eyes dimmed, and she sank back into the shadows.

* * *

A week later, skilled fingers danced across gleaming chords, chakra sparking small flames across taut metal.

_Cut my life into pieces_

_This is my last resort,_

Harsh chords were struck like lightning.

_"Suffocation, no breathing._

_Don't give a fuck if I cut my arm bleeding._

_This is my last resort,"_

Bright eyes squeezed shut in usually hidden passion.

_"Cut my life into pieces_

_I've reached my last resort,_

_Suffocation, no breathing_

_Don't give a fuck if I cut my arm bleeding_

_Do you even care if I die bleeding?"_

A teen headbanged to the sound of their music, wild locks swishing about with the frantic, yet rhythmic motions.

_"Would it be wrong, would it be right? _

_If I took my life tonight,_

_Chances are that I might_

_Mutilation out of sight_

_And I'm contemplating suicide."_

A sandaled foot stomped down, flawlessly tapping out the rhythm of the song.

"_'Cause I'm losing my sight, losing my mind_

_Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine_

_Losing my sight, losing my mind_

_Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine."_

Blue eyes peered through mussed red bangs.

_"I never realized I was spread too thin_

_'Til it was too late, and I was empty within_

_Hungry, feeding on chaos and living in sin_

_Downward spiral, where do I begin?"_

The musician shrugged, singing the answer to their own question.

_"It all started when I lost my mother,_

_No love for myself and no love for another._

_Searching, to find a love upon a higher level_

_Finding, nothing but questions_ _and devils."_

The singer shook their head remorsefully, and began bobbing their head wildly again.

"_'Cause I'm losing my sight, losing my mind_

_Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine!_

_Losing my sight, losing my mind,_

_Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine."_

They took a deep breath, plucking at their guitar.

_"Nothing's alright, nothing is fine."_

The person watching them play cocked their head to the side.

_"I'm running and I'm crying... _

_I can't go on living this way..."_

They flipped their bangs from their face, and finished on an incomplete note that echoed around the area they occupied.

_"Nothing's alright..._

_Nothing... is fine."_

The musician turned around, and grinned up at their silent audience hidden in the trees of training ground seven.

"Hey Shisui." Naruto called up.

The older ROOT saluted her, and jumped from his perch above, shunshining to her side.

"You wanna talk about it?" He offered.

"Nah," Naruto waved him away. "Chunin Exams are starting soon. I better get going."

Her partner pursed his lips, but nodded in agreement.

"Don't traumatize anyone Naruto." He said, watching her lift up into the air.

He caught her guitar as she dropped it.

"No promises." The redhead snickered, shooting into the sky, and whizzing off in flight.

Shisui chuckled, and left to drop Naruto's guitar off at her apartment.

* * *

"So you showed up, did you?" Naruto asked, arms crossed, pushing away from the wall she had been leaning against.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed. "Where've you been? You were gone for months and then you show up again only to drop off the face of the earth for another week!?"

"Whoa!" Naruto held up her hands. "Chill out Haruno. I was training okay?"

"Training?" The pinkette echoed, green eyes not so subtly trailing down to eye Naruto's bare midsection, growing confused at the blatant lack of scarring there.

"Where...?" She swallowed, thinking of the masked girl that looked way too similar to Naruto now that the redhead's hair was it's original length. "Who...?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to." Naruto answered flatly.

Sakura frowned, remembering Kakashi-sensei had said those same words to her once before. She blanched, remembering that he'd said that because Naruto had tortured and killed the Demon Brothers.

"You're right. I probably _don't_ want to know..." The pinkette muttered.

Naruto shrugged.

Just then, an inferno of flames ignited beside the two girls, spitting out the form of one Sasuke Uchiha.

"I have _got_ to learn how to do that." Sakura grumbled.

"Been hanging with Itachi I see." Naruto observed, walking into the Academy.

Sasuke gave her a funny look.

"You know my brother?" He shot back, following behind her.

"Not that well." Naruto shrugged. "I've met him a few times because I train with Shisui. He taught me fire jutsu, and I taught him a few seals."

"How do you know Shisui anyways Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

The redhead shrugged again.

"He's a friendly guy. Everyone knows him."

Sasuke seemed suspicious, but decided to accept that answer.

Team seven made their way to the second floor, where the eternal Chunin gate guards were wearing henges, and had a bad genjutsu in front of room 201, so it looked like room 301.

A spandex wearing dork was getting his ass handed to him by one of the henged Chunin, and his teammates watched in exasperation.

"Weren't you the one who suggested we not attract attention to ourselves?" Intoned a long haired male with typical pupiless Hyuga eyes.

"Yes Neji, you are right, but these two are being exceptionally unyouthful by not letting anyone pass!" He hollered, his thick eyebrows high on his head, nearly swallowed by his shining bowl cut.

Sasuke opened his mouth.

"Point out the genjutsu, and I'll rip your tongue out so fast you won't even be able to bleed as I sew your mouth closed." Naruto threatened.

The prideful Uchiha glared at his teammate, but shut up anyways. Because he saw what happened to her in the Hokage's office. So if she was standing before him like she'd never been torn apart, she was no joke.

"You at least noticed it, right Sakura?" Sasuke asked.

The pinkette nodded, some of the color she'd been losing with her haywired nerves returning.

"Of course Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered. "Only an idiot wouldn't remember we only walked up two flights of stairs."

Pleased, Naruto gestured grandly so Sasuke could lead their team upstairs.

Rolling his eyes at the smartassed redhead, the Uchiha did so.

"YOU! _STOP!_"

Sakura flinched as the horrendous green thing caught hold of her hand, and dropped to one knee before her.

"What is your name?" He asked, large eyes sparkling.

"Erm... Sakura Haruno...?"

"I am Rock Lee! Please be my girlfriend, and I'll protect you with my life!"

Sakura screamed in horror, looking to her teammates for help, only to notice they were no where in sight.

Sakura quickly flushed in fury, realizing they had ditched her.

"Sonofa-"

* * *

Kakashi ducked away from the flying punch Sakura had hurled at him.

Luckily he had done that instead of trying to catch it, because the floor splintered under her fist, and her arm was buried in it all the way up to her elbow.

"So you mean if all of us didn't come, none of us could participate in the Exams?" Sasuke gritted.

"Yup!" Kakashi chirped flippantly, before waving a cheerful goodbye. "Good luck my cute little Genin!"

He poofed away just as Sakura tore free from the floorboards and sent another punch, this time, at one of his kidneys.

The hot-blooded Haruno had trained quite vigorously after the Wave mission, if only to stay out of the crossfire of Naruto in action.

The pinkette huffed, crossing her arms, and then proceeding to scowl.

Sakura was still sore about them ditching her with Lee, and Sasuke was sore _because_ of Lee, because the older boy had beaten the stuffing out of the Uchiha a few minutes prior.

Naruto, was personally in a smashing good mood, and opened the door to enter the off white classroom of 301.

There was a loud squeal of happiness that had many wincing deeply.

An ash blonde streak shot across the room as Team seven crossed the threshold.

"Sasuke!" Ino shrieked in delight, attaching herself to his back. "I missed you darling! I bet you missed me too, didn't you?"

"As if!" Sakura snarled. "Why would he miss you when there's plenty of your kind wallowing in mud at the farm we take D ranks for?"

"Oooh _buuuurn_~" Naruto instigated, covering her grinning masked mouth tauntingly.

Ino detached herself from Sasuke's back, much to his obvious relief.

The blonde glared at the pinkette, and sparks flew between the two rivaling fangirls.

"Whatever billboard-brow! I bet he's tired of constantly reading the stupidity you've got advertised across your head!"

"Troublesome. You guys are here too?" A pineapple headed stringbean asked, slouching over to his fellow rookies.

Choji trailed behind him, munching on BBQ chips. "Hey guys." He mumbled out.

"YAHOO! Looks like the gangs all here!"

Naruto deadpanned as Kiba plowed over to them, Hinata and Shino following like the normal tempered human beings they were.

"Oh it's _Naruto_." Kiba sneered, turning his nose up. "I'm surprised you passed the Genin test, _Dobe_."

Naruto rolled her eyes.

"You'd be surprised with some of the things I can do." She retorted blandly.

"Would it have something to do with _unmentionables_?" Ino suddenly butted in, eyeing the redhead up and down. "Because your new look is rather telling to your... ahem, _loose_ character."

Naruto bared her teeth in a savage grin, and everyone could see it just fine with her skin tight, latex mask.

"Well, foreign blood spatter has been ruining my clothes since I was eight," She admitted, thoroughly enjoying the disturbed looks she received. "And I figured, less clothes, less mess I have to clean up after a bit of fun."

Ino blanched and quickly rounded Choji to hide behind him, as a baby's breath would knock Shikamaru over.

"You're still a complete psycho Naruto!" The Yamanaka huffed.

"Did you expect anything else?" The redhead snorted.

"Whatever Naruto, your all bark and no bite!" Kiba declared.

"Don't assume everyone dances to your tune, mongrel." Naruto flatlined.

Shino snorted under his breath, and Hinata held back a startled giggle.

Kiba gawked as even Akamaru, who had silently been watching from inside his coat, gave little puppy wheezes of laughter.

"Oh c'mon you guys! You're supposed to have my back, not laugh!"

"You guys had better be quiet!"

All the attention went to an older boy with silver hair in a low spiking ponytail and round black glasses.

"You don't know what your dealing with!"

"Says who?" Sasuke spoke up.

The nerd shoved his glasses up onto his nose, and Naruto caught a sinister gleam flash momentarily in his black eyes.

"Kabuto Yakushi." He introduced. "And being your upperclassmen, I'm gonna give you a bit of advice."

Que mass brow raising.

"Look around you, rookies. Everyone's tense because these Exams are extremely stressful and hard. And a bunch of wet nosed kids aren't helping their tempers."

For the first time, the rookies looked around, and paled, except for Sasuke and Shino.

Shino, because he didn't do much of anything.

And Sasuke? He'd been on a team with Naruto too long for the collective killing intent to affect him much.

Sakura, looked somewhat shaken, but they weren't going to scare her off. Her training wasn't going down the toilet, _shannaro!_

Naruto, was entirely unaffected by any form of killing intent, as Danzo radiated it whenever she was in his presence. So, being around it was as regular to her as breathing.

"You." Kabuto singled her out.

"Nani?" She drawled, eyes half lidded, and hands shoved into her cloak's pockets.

"You seem pretty cocky, but I bet you won't be acting that way after the first Exam." Kabuto said snootily.

"You say that like you've done this before." Shikamaru observed.

Kabuto suddenly looked sheepish.

"Yeah," He rubbed the back of his head. "It's my seventh time, actually. These Exams are no cake walk."

"So, you've failed _seven_ times, and you single me out for being confident." Naruto turned to him fully, unnerving many people when she approached him, staring unblinkingly into his dishonest black eyes.

"I can see that you're smart." She stated. "And you've probably done your homework. So, I wanna know why you'd try to provoke me, knowing I've got enough blood on my hands to soak half of this village all the way down to the bone."

You could drop a pin to the following silence and hear it.

Naruto suddenly chuckled good naturedly, patting Kabuto on his shoulder cheerfully.

"I'm just kidding dude, by all means." She gestured to the rookies behind her. "Do what you came to do."

"R-right." He shakily, pulled out a deck of orange cards. Naruto's eyes sharpened, noting his nervous behavior was false.

_'What's your game?' _She wondered.

**'Watch him closely Naruto. He reeks of snakes.'**

_'Does he now. Well, that's interesting. I'll be sure to keep an eye on him. Hah. Literally."_

Kurama snorted at her poor joke, knowing she was referring to Harime's eye, which she had sealed into Kabuto's flesh as she patted his shoulder.

His seal was connected to the one on Naruto's opposite shoulder, so, whenever he used his chakra, Harime would be able to see through his eyes, and then, tell Naruto of her findings.

"These are ninja info cards. I've collected data on everyone who've taken the Chunin Exams with me before, or have just signed up this year." Kabuto explained.

"So you can tell us about anyone?" Kiba asked.

Kabuto nodded with a proud dorky grin. "I sure can!"

"Tell me about Sabaku no Gaara and Rock Lee." Sasuke demanded, shoving his way to the front of the crowding rookies.

"A-and... Naruto Uzumaki." Sakura added timidly.

Naruto rose a brow at the pinkette.

"You realize if he knows anything worthwhile, I'll just rip his tongue out before he can tell you, right?"

Everyone sweatdropped as the redhead began cackling.

_'I'm on to you, Yakushi.'_ Naruto thought acidically._ 'And__ if you're allied with who I think you are, you'll wish you'd stayed inside whatever hole you crawled out of...'_


	21. Madness Loves Company

**Me: *Snipes Willy Wonka's kneecaps as he tries to reclaim his chocolate factory***

**Oompa Loopa's: O.O**

**Me: Buzz off loser, Incarnation of Insanity gave this factory to me!**

**Willy: *Screams in pain as he slowly bleeds out***

**I'm so happy you guys are satisfied with where I'm taking the story. Your reviews make this weirdo's day. Believe it! ;)**

** I didn't know who else to put on Haku's team, so I just made up some chick.**

**Her name is Chiharu, which means "one thousand springs". She's Chojuro's distant cousin. **

**I don't own Naruto. Enjoy.**

**Me: *Flies off on chocolate powered jetpack***

**Willy: *Dies***

* * *

Danzo scowled to himself, crushing the apple he'd been about to eat in his fist. He flicked away the sticky mess, and the two blank faced ROOT operatives that guarded the door to his estate's dinning room rushed to clean up his mess.

He allowed one of them to clean his hand off as well, wordlessly shooing them away when he was clean.

The bandaged shinobi shoved away from his lunch, and stood stiffly, storming through the entrance to roam the halls of his home. As he passed, his many expressionless operatives bowed to him respectfully, which he utterly ignored in his silent rage.

For _months_ Minato had been pushing him away.

It had started small, the Fourth simply "forgetting_" _to send someone to retrieve Danzo for council meetings.

But then, it escalated, to the point where Danzo couldn't remember the last time he'd stepped foot in the Hokage's office other then to demand why he was suddenly so out of the loop. If not for Koharu and Homura, the one eyed elder doubted he'd even know that the Chunin Exams were underway.

He knew what was going on.

Minato was moving to kick him off of the council. He was making it so Danzo no longer had any real political pull in shinobi matters.

And Hiruzen was helping him.

Why else would Shisui be distancing himself from him? Why else would his Jinchuuriki weapon have not reported in to him for as long as Minato had been moving to be rid of him?

Shisui and Naruto had always been overly fond of Danzo's old teammate, and the fact that said teammate never left the Fourth's side, he knew they were working together. Shisui was a sharp boy, too sharp for his own good. He would have realized what Danzo had done to Naruto already. And with Hiruzen's spineless ideals imprinted upon him, Shisui would follow him over Danzo any day.

Unfortunately, where Shisui went, Naruto would not be far behind. They were too close, no matter how much Danzo tried to groom her to despise others.

Shisui was no longer his. He was spending too much time taking missions from the Hokage, only seeing Danzo when he summoned him.

Danzo knew.

Minato, and the Third had found out.

They knew he trained Naruto as a ROOT.

"No matter." Danzo muttered, smirking to himself. "Naruto is full of hatred. It will be easy to turn that hatred on you, Minato."

* * *

Kabuto spilled the beans about Gaara's infamy for being untouchable, and Lee's prowess as an aspiring taijutsu specialist.

"Naruto Uzumaki..." The dork began.

The redhead's peers perked up in interest.

"Says here that she's a leaf genin, and-"

Naruto's left hand darted up, as dexterous as a snake, and shoved it's way down his throat nearly up to her wrist.

Kabuto choked, black eyes wide as Naruto smiled at him with her eyes.

"A girl is entitled to a few of her secrets, don't you think?" She asked pleasantly.

The other Leaf nin doubled over as Naruto slid her hand from his mouth, tendrils of saliva following the action.

Flicking the slimy substance from her fingers, Naruto discreetly glanced at the info card, noticing Kabuto only had her cover information.

Recently graduated Genin of Konoha, the class dobe, yada yada yada. But, he'd marked it as 'curious' she had such low marks being the Fuuinjutsu prodigy she was. Her parents were unknown, and she was an orphan.

Naruto crushed the card in her hand, and shoved it into the red senbon pouch around her right leg.

She accepted the few drops of hand sanitizer Hinata wordlessly offered her with a cheerful thanks.

Rubbing in the sanitizing gel, the redhead looked up questioningly, as if she didn't know why her peers were gawking at her.

"Naruto, what the hell!?" Ino shrieked.

Amusingly, Kabuto was still clutching his throat, and coughing in the background.

"You can't do that to someone and then just act like nothing happened!" Kiba finished for the blonde.

"Ugh. Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered, scratching at the side of his head.

Choji nodded silently, putting his chips away, disturbed.

"But nothing happened." Naruto said innocently. "I didn't even rip out his tongue like I said I would. Humph. Come to think of it... I'm going soft aren't I?"

"Oh my God." Sakura mumbled, rubbing an exasperated hand down her face.

Sasuke had given up, and began silently brooding, wondering where the _hell_ first Exam Proctor was.

Nobody could tell what Shino was feeling, and Hinata was still flustered that she'd had enough courage to approach Naruto to give the redhead hand sanitizer.

"I-I'm glad we're on the same side." Kabuto wheezed. "There's so many strong contestants from different villages this year! The only team I _wouldn't_ worry about-" Naruto took note to the stress on that specific word. "-Is from Sound. I mean, they're still so new, that they could only afford to send _one_ team."

_'I've got you now, Kabuto-chan.' _Naruto thought insidiously. _'I know Sound is Orochimaru's village, and the fact that you smell like snake is only the icing on the cake. You're a spy~'_

The redhead nearly rolled her eyes as a bandaged Sound nin attacked Kabuto viciously, causing him to vomit. It was so obviously planned, that it was sad.

Naruto crossed her arms as Sakura and Choji fussed over the gray haired boy's well being.

_'The only question is, why is Orochimaru's pet in the Exams?'_

"Alright you maggots!" A burly man littered in scars strode confidently into the room, and stood before the contestants expectantly. "There will be no more fighting if you fancy keeping your own hides. I am the first stage Exam Proctor, Morino Ibiki."

"Gomen-ne." The Sound shinobi drawled, slicing Kabuto with one last glare. "It seems I got a little over excited."

"Well, don't let it happen again." Ibiki growled. "Everyone sit the fuck down."

Many of the Chunin hopefuls quickly carried out this order, and others took their sweet time.

Ibiki went over the rules of his test, thoroughly hotwiring the nerves of the weak willed.

"Any questions?" Ibiki ended with a growl.

Naruto sat her elbow on her desk, and rested her cheek against her palm, leaning forward with wide sparkling eyes.

"Marry me?"

When Ibiki only blinked, the room soon filled with the cackling of one slightly unstable individual.

Two guesses who.

* * *

Naruto answered what she could on the exam, even though she'd figured out the true motive of the test. The one's she couldn't, she just drew little pictures in their answer spaces.

The redhead had kindly patted Hinata's head when the gentle Hyuga had offered her paper to copy off of, and declined.

The poor girl was still beat red.

Ibiki had a bit of fun running off a few teams with the ruse of the tenth question, rousing the tempers of Temari, a Sound nin, and Kiba.

After many backed out, Ibiki stood stone faced in front of the Genin, with his arms crossed over his wide chest.

"Anyone else want to quit while you're ahead?" The bear-like man baited.

Thirty seconds dragged by, and Naruto smelled nervous sweat in the air.

She opened her eyes from their relaxed position, sensing Sakura's chakra signature waver with uncertainty.

"Raise that hand Haruno, and you'll lose it." Naruto stated.

She turned around, her eyes crinkling slightly as she smiled sharply beneath her mask.

Sakura gulped, and her hand fell into her lap.

"B-but..."

The pinkette flinched when Naruto's eyes completely closed, arching into happy crescents.

"H-hai..." Sakura stuttered.

Wordlessly, Naruto turned back around, blowing a kiss at Ibiki, who had watched the exchange with mild curiosity.

The burly man bristled slightly, causing the redhead to inwardly snicker.

Shaking his head, the proctor set his eyes on the Chunin hopefuls as a whole.

"Congratulations, you all pass." Ibiki announced, giving them a small smile.

"WHAT!?" Kiba squawked.

"What about the tenth question?" Temari spat.

Ibiki chuckled, explaining to everyone the nature of the tenth question, and that a Chunin must have the courage to take risks for the sake of the mission.

"Ah mind fucking." Naruto sighed blissfully. "One of my favorite pass times."

The redhead crossed her arms to wait for what was to come.

She pondered her behavior so far since her merging with Harime once more.

It wasn't all that different, but, it seemed she'd become a bit more playful, in Harime's special sinister way.

Harime's personality had somewhat imprinted on half of her soul, but, it was who she was.

Naruto was messed up. But when she thought about it, it wasn't so bad. She wasn't slaughtering innocents, so, she really had no reason to be insecure.

Yes, Naruto had an evil side. Scoffing, she thought,_ 'who didn't?'._

The redhead was more than sure there was people _way_ more, or just as screwed in the head as she was wandering around.

She snorted under her breath.

_'I'd like to meet a person like that.'_

Just then, the window to the far right shattered, and a spinning ball of dark purple whizzed into the room.

A banner was pinned to the blackboard behind Ibiki, reading: _Mitarashi Anko! The_ _Sexy and Single Second Exam Proctor!_

The airborne ball uncurled and a voluptuous woman with a spiky purple ponytail took it's place. Pupiless hazel eyes stared into the souls of the startled Genin. Naruto blinked at the beige trench coat, skimpy skirt, and arms crossed beneath an ample, mesh covered chest.

"Now's not the time to be celebrating maggots!" Anko barked. "Get your gear and follow me, 'cause the Exams are just getting started!"

"Learn to read the mood, Anko." Ibiki deadpanned. "You're early. _Again_."

Anko looked around, and blinked at the flabbergasted looks she was receiving.

She flushed momentarily, before she found her enthusiasm again.

"What's this?" Anko exclaimed. "Twenty six teams? Ibiki, you must be going soft!"

The burly man only smiled marginally.

"Maybe we just have an exceptional batch this year."

"Pfft!" Anko scoffed. "These numbers will be cut in half by the time I'm done with these brats!"

An assortments of proud faces fell and paled.

Ibiki shook his head in resignation.

Already over crushing the dreams of others, Anko's hazel eyes sized up the potential Chunin, sliding over a particular redhead, before doing a double take.

Anko's mouth fell open, and she pointed directly at her new target.

"You!" The purple haired kunoichi blurted.

"Me." Naruto agreed humorously.

Most didn't even see Anko move before the skimpily clad woman was crouched atop Naruto's desk, leaning over, until her nose nearly brushed Naruto's mask covered one.

An entire minute went by in tense, anticipating silence.

Sensing Anko meant no harm, the redhead decided to let the situation run its course. Who knows, maybe things would get interesting.

Naruto yelped when she felt the woman seize her by her mesh top, and yank her into an awkward half standing position.

Her eyes went the widest they'd ever been when a sudden breeze brushed over her face, and a pair of full lips melded over hers.

Hinata fainted by her side when she saw Anko's tongue slip past Naruto's lips.

The snake mistress languidly mapped out the inside of Naruto's mouth, suckling on her tongue lewdly, before pulling away, a string of saliva still connecting the two females.

Naruto blinked slowly as Anko grinned, and pulled her mask back over her face, breaking their wet connection.

No one had seen Naruto's face, as Anko's bangs shielded them from prying eyes.

Another pregnant thirty seconds went by.

"What. The. _**Fuck**_." Kiba finally said.

"So, I take it you two know each other?" Ibiki drawled flatly.

"Nope!" Anko chirped. "This is a first."

Many _many_ people face faulted at this.

"You... taste like dango." Naruto muttered. "_Hanami_ flavor...? In this season?"

"_That's_ what you're questioning?!" Ino threw her hands up.

"Hum." Anko stroked her smooth chin, staring at Naruto thoughtfully. "Usually that makes people entirely uncomfortable or incredibly aroused."

"You've done that before?" Kabuto muttered, appalled.

Naruto just shrugged, nonchalant to the fact that she had been totally violated moments ago.

Anko hopped off of her desk, crossing her arms under her chest again, getting appreciative looks from all around.

"I like you kid." She decided. "Me and you? Heh. We're gonna be thick as thieves."

"Cool." Naruto said.

"Anko Mitarashi." The psycho offered, beaming.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The other psycho returned, just as happily.

"Noooooooooo!" Sakura screamed.

* * *

Standing outside of The Forest of Death, the remaining Chunin hopefuls sized up the ominous vegetation, wondering what those giant trees had hidden inside them.

Unfortunately, the serious atmosphere was ruined by two roaring crazy chicks as they got to know each other better.

"-and _then_ he said: 'why would you summon your snakes while we're having sex? We're _through!'_."

Anko had her arm slung over Naruto's shoulders as they both howled with laughter, finishing up the story of her last breakup.

"Oh my God that's _gold_!" Naruto laughed, tears pouring out of her eyes.

"I know right?" Anko asked, snickering as she calmed down.

She released Naruto's shoulders, and slipped her hands into her trench coat pockets.

"Did you know he filed for a restraining order?"

"Oh jeez seriously?" Naruto sniggered, wiping away tears. "I have _got_ to get to get a boyfriend so I can completely screw with him and make him break up with me."

"Oh please _do_." Anko purred deviously. "And we've got to keep in touch, so you can tell me what you did!"

"Will do!" Naruto saluted goofily, earning a few laughs from her new friend.

"Oh!" Anko perked up. "But I can't believe you wiped blood on the face of the Jounin Commander's _son!_"

"What?" Naruto snorted. "When did I do that?"

"It's even funnier that you don't remember." The purple haired kunoichi said. "But, it was during the Genin team assignments."

"Oh!" Naruto snapped her fingers in recognition. "Shikamaru! That's _right_... That day I was _pissed_."

She turned to the lazy Nara, who stood a few yards away from her with his team. "Sorry about that by the way Shika."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.

Anko collapsed into guffaws again, clutching at her midsection as if in pain.

"_Gosh_ I've _got_ to get you to wipe blood on Ibiki!"

"Um, no offense but, can we get on with the Second Exam?"

"Huh?" Anko said eloquently, turning to face the group of people that were forming a crescent around she and Naruto.

"Haku?" Naruto asked, recognising that gentle voice. She blinked at the older boy who hadn't changed a bit since she'd last seen him. Not even his attire had changed. The only thing missing was his false Hunter nin mask.

The ice wielder strolled up from behind the crowding Genin, flanking his sides were his teammates.

To Haku's right, stood a short light blue haired boy, with black square glasses connected to ear protectors. His clothes were a blue pin-striped shirt and gray camouflage patterned pants. His forehead protector was sewn to the front of his dark blue holster, which held an oddly fish shaped, bandage covered blade with two yellow handles.

To Haku's left, was a lanky girl with pastel green hair cropped in an asymmetrical bob, spiking bangs covering the entire right side of her face. She wore square black rimmed glasses as well, and had the same black eyes as Haku's other teammate. Her outfit was also the same, only, she wore a camouflage mini skirt, and mesh tights under thigh high shinobi boots. Her sword was a normal blue hilted katana.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it Naruto-san." Haku said politely.

"Hmph, yeah." Naruto scoffed, crossing her arms. "You and Sexy Pants left without saying goodbye. I didn't even get to rub in his face that I almost killed him." The redhead pouted.

"Who's sexy?" Anko asked, grinning lecherously.

"Zabuza Momochi." Naruto leered back.

"Oooh~" Anko purred. "I've seen his bingo book entry. That guy _bathes_ in blood."

Both of them flushed and shivered at the thought of the crazed and infamous Mist nin.

"Wait." The purple haired woman perked up. "You almost bumped off a _high_ Jounin?"

"He was underestimating me." Naruto shrugged.

"Hum." Anko hummed thoughtfully.

"Um." Haku coughed uncomfortably, his cheeks slightly pink. "Anyways Naruto-san, these are my teammates. Chojuro-san and Chiharu-san. They're distant cousins."

The blue haired boy ducked his head meekly, and bowed politely. "Uh... e-erm... hello." He finally said, flushing heavily.

"Why aren't you cute." Naruto teased.

Chojuro did a good impression of Hinata after that. "I ah, um... thanks...?"

"Hey." The green haired girl greeted glumly.

"You're a happy one aren't you." Naruto said flatly.

"I guess." Chiharu replied lowly, shrinking behind her bangs and invisible cloud of gloom.

"So why didn't you come talk to me earlier Popsicle-chan?" Naruto asked.

"You seemed a bit... _preoccupied_." Haku answered awkwardly, sneaking a glance at Kabuto, who was with his two unmemorable teammates.

The redhead grinned to hide the knowledgeable gleam in her eyes.

"Oh c'm_on_ that's just how I make friends!" Naruto laughed cheerfully.

"Which is probably why you don't have any." Sakura retorted darkly from under her breath.

Sasuke discretely inched away from the pinkette when the redhead turned an insincere smile on her.

"Okay so we need you guys to sign these waivers." A Chunin called, pulling the attention from the redhead, dressed in standard T and I uniform. He and another Chunin had decided to explain the second Exam, seeing as Anko had yet to stop goofing off.

The skimpily dressed Jounin saw a chance to psyche out the competitors, and took it, using the body flicker to appear in front of her two Chunin helpers.

Haku and his teammates bid Naruto goodbye and went to get their own papers.

"Why do we have to sign these?" Kankuro asked, annoyed.

"So if you die, your village can't sue me. Why else?" Anko snorted. "We don't call this place The Forest of Death for nothing."

She grinned sharply as she saw people beginning to lose their nerve.

"I take it tweedle dumb and dumber explained the scroll business already, right?" Anko asked, ignoring the twin insulted "hey!" she received from her helpers, instead focusing on the round of nods she received from the Genin.

"I bet they dumbed it down and made it sound simple, didn't they?" Anko grinned, looking the part of a plotting viper as she received more uncertain nods. "Each team are assigned heaven or earth, getting the opposite scroll from another team. When you do, head to the tower in the center of the forest in five days. No more, no less. And absolutely_ no_ forfeits."

"Damn!" Shikamaru muttered, causing Ino to roll her eyes at him.

"Also, just so you punks know, you're allowed to spill blood in my Exam." Anko snickered, taking pleasure in the concerned looks her statement evoked from some of the Genin. "Watch out though, 'cause the nature around here is as bloodthirsty as some of you."

"Wait... five days?" Choji blurted, abhorred. "What do we do for food!?"

"It's a forest genius, there's plenty of stuff to survive off of!" Anko huffed.

"Man, I don't wanna die!" Kiba whined.

"Don't worry." Naruto spoke up, "I'm sure the overwhelming stench of wet dog will drive off any preditors."

"Pfft!" Anko failed to muffle her amusement as Kiba reddened in anger, his clan markings nearly disappearing.

"I don't smell like wet dog!" The Inuzuka spat.

"No no of course not." Naruto agreed mockingly.

"Why _you-_"

"Out of curiosity..." A hissing voice interrupted.

Everyone turned to the Grass kunoichi standing right behind Anko. The long haired, straw hat wearing one that had _**not**_ been there before, smiling at Naruto.

"What does the red one taste like?" A long reptilian tongue slipped from her lips, moistening them before slipping away again.

Anko slipped away the kunai she had drawn, and discretely been pointing at the Grass woman's liver. She turned fully to the creepy newcomer.

"Keep that thing away if you want to keep it." Anko warned, referring to the woman's overly long tongue.

"I'm sorry, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." The woman hissed, slinking off to her teammates.

Naruto's eyes followed her for a moment, and turned away.

_'Well isn't that interesting.' _The redhead thought._ 'Don't think I've seen a tongue quite like that. Though, I guess I can finally be glad Danzo always stresses every detail about known enemies.'_

**'Humph, you always knew he would be coming for that blasted little Uchiha. Be cautious, Naruto.'**

_'I know Kurama. I know.'_

Becoming cheerful again, Anko yanked Naruto to her side, once more slinging an arm around the redhead's shoulders.

"This little doll tastes like peppermints by the way, if any of you single dudes were wondering."

Rolling her eyes, Naruto pushed Anko away, accepting the death waiver from the Chunin helper that had began passing them out.

She pulled a senbon free from the bun at the back of her head, and sliced her hand open.

"Thanks." Naruto smiled, placing her paper against Anko's back, as the older female had turned around invitingly. The redhead dipped her weapon in the wound on her hand, and used it to sign her waiver.

The Chunin hadn't walked away, and stared at her in unveiled dismay. "You could've just _asked_ for a pencil."

"Where's the fun in that?" Naruto chuckled, sliding the senbon back into her hair.

Rolling his eyes, he went to the next person, and handed them a paper, this time offering a pencil.

"Oh hey," Anko called for attention. "Whatever you do, don't open your scroll in the forest."

"Why?" Kiba snarked.

Anko smiled rougishly. "Why don't you do it and find out?"

Kiba gulped and shook his head. "N-no thanks..."

"That's what I thought." The woman chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, Naruto went over to the tent set up outside the forest gates to turn in her form. She accepted the heaven's scroll that was handed to her, purposefully freaking people out when she appeared to swallow it, when in reality, she simply sealed it into the back of her tongue. She had a storage seal tattooed there just in case.

Everyone stood before their assigned gates a few minutes later, and Anko smiled at all of them creepily.

"A word of advice," She announced. "Don't die."

The gates flew open, and everyone rushed in.

The game was on.

"See you later Naruto!" Anko called gleefully. "Have fun~!"

"Later gator!" Naruto cheered, taking hold of both her teammates' arms, and body flickering them all halfway through the forest.

* * *

"Naruto, are you sure you should keep the scroll?" Sakura asked, uncertain. "Everyone saw that you have it."

Naruto looked at her teammate flatly. "You really want it after what I did to it?"

Sakura's face scrunched up. "Um... on second thought, you can keep it."

"We need a plan." Sasuke decided, back ramrod straight against the tree trunk of the large oak they all sat in.

"Cool, you guys do that, and I'll go get us an Earth Scroll, 'kay?" Naruto chirped, standing up and stretching. "It sucks no one has come to attack us yet. So that means I've got to go looking for trouble. Though, there certainly isn't anything wrong with that."

"Wait." Sakura bugged out. "You're _leaving_? This is a team exercise! Plus, this Exam is _full_ of psychos, so we should stick together!"

"I've got a few new techniques I wanna try out. Do you two seriously want to be around when the corpse party starts?" Naruto asked, amused.

Her teammates paled slightly.

The pinkette shook her head vigorously. "You actually _want_ to kill people?"

"Nah, I was just gonna maim them a bit. Nothing especially heinous. It's just, corpse party sounds wicked cool." Naruto admitted, waving away her teammates' nausea.

"Actually..." The redhead mused, rubbing her masked chin thoughtfully. "I'm gonna create a new jutsu, just to name it that."

Sakura gave up, and buried her face in her hands.

"As long as you get the scroll." Sasuke finally decided on.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura protested, inner fog instantly clearing.

"Look, I for one can handle myself if someone attacks us. And we don't have to worry about someone stealing our scroll with-" The Uchiha paused, eyeing Naruto's flat stomach in dismay. "-where it is."

Sakura pursed her lips, clearly not happy with the direction things were going, but saw the pointlessness in arguing. The pinkette huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine." She grumbled. "Just don't die while you've got our scroll, Naruto."

The redhead saluted the other female tauntingly. "Feel free to die while I'm gone Forehead-chan."

Sakura quickly flushed red in rage.

"WHY _**YOU**-"_

Unfortunately, before she could cave Naruto's face in with her fist, the redhead disappeared, body swept away by a quiet breeze.

* * *

A group of Rain shinobi sat huddled behind a cluster of bushes, plotting a way to get a heaven's scroll.

_'My luck is just too good.' _Naruto thought, smirking._ 'Plus, I'm sure by pulling a disappearing act, Orochimaru will make contact, and I can take him out while he's distracted. I can't equally go toe to toe with a Sannin, but I sure as hell can wound one.'_

The redhead dropped down from the tree, thinking of which approach she would take as she used her flying seals to prolong her fall. The trees in the area the Rain nin were in were tall, but not like the rest of the forest. They were a more practical size, with many twisting branches and hazardous twigs.

"Let's try one of our new jutsu, Harime-chan."

Hearing her name, the shadow girl roused from her slumber.

Naruto landed lightly behind two of the Rain shinobi, and the one facing her went wide eyed at her appearance, though, it was already too late.

Harime rose up behind Naruto, a pitch black form with glowing red eyes, and dark flowing tendrils sprouting from either side of her head.

Harime slid through Naruto's legs and rose up from the shadows, crouched, the lower half of her face split into a glowing white, razor grin.

_"_**Shadow Possession Jutsu.**_"_ She announced, connecting herself to the shadows of the three Rain nin, and immobilizing them.

"What the-" One of them exclaimed.

"I-I can't m-move!" Another gritted, trying to force himself free.

"What the hell is that thing!?" The one facing Naruto yelled, referring to the grinning black apparition.

Harime remained crouched in front of Naruto, her clawed hands set in the rat sign. "How rude!" She giggled. "I'm no it! I'm Harime-chan~!"

"Wh-what is it?" One of them facing away asked, panicking.

"What's b-behind us?" The other stuttered.

Growing tired of their babbling, Naruto tuned them out, and pulled at the beaded belt around her waist, picking off one of the black beads with swirls of crimson.

The beads were just small rounded peppermints. The thing was, they held an extremely condensed amount of blood inside them.

They were originally created by Harime. Candy that she had scooped the centers out of, and sealed blood within after etching tiny storage seals on the inside. There were many things the once cyclopean girl had done after escaping from her coffin.

Having escaped so many times, Harime had done lot's of things she knew would someday benefit Naruto. This included fixing up her Toy Box of lost souls, so that Naruto could walk around as if in a normal room. The room sealed inside the Toy Box, was originally one of the many rooms in the Underground. Harime had just used fuuinjustu to move it's walls into the Toy Box. So, if you opened the door to that specific Underground room, you'd fall into an empty pocket dimension.

Naruto kept that door sealed shut.

The redhead hadn't checked out the Toy Box yet, because she knew exactly how it would look, having gained all of Harime's memories. But, on a whim, she simply decided she wanted to see it for herself.

Plus, she had a new jutsu where she summoned not a door, but an actual pocket dimension to an area she inhabited.

She'd test out her jutsu, and check out her Toy Box.

Two birds with one stone.

Naruto pulled down her mask, and popped the peppermint bead in her mouth.

She bit down.

**Crunch**.

She took a deep breath, expelling wind chakra from her lungs, and blowing out the massive jet of blood that flooded from the broken seal in her mouth. Naruto spun around a full 360° degrees, drenching every tree in the range of eleven meters in red.

When Naruto came to a stop, she used her bloodlimit to form fuuinjutsu symbols on four trees around herself and her captives. With a quick pulse of chakra, she activated them, making them glow blue among the sopping red.

Naruto quickly ran through handseals, calling out her newest jutsu.

"**Fuuinjutsu Style: Four Prong Spacial Eater**!"

There was a massive rush of air, like all the oxygen in the area was sucked away by a giant vacuum in a single moment.

Just as quickly, the skies darkened, replaced by gray brick ceilings, and walls, connected to a bloodstained white marbal floor with a silver drain in the center of it. The extremely cold atmosphere was shown in the ice creeping along the walls, hiding in cracks and crevices. The room was rather large, and had the blood dripping trees at each of it's four corners, soaked bark glowing with blue seals.

But the most notable thing was the bodies.

Bodies hanging from steel rings bolted to the ceiling, and dangling, swaying a macabre dance from nooses.

Though, they weren't just any bodies.

They were life-sized, beige knitted dolls. Each had their own features, like different length hair, it's color, and style. Their heights differed, and they had different mortal wounds stitched closed on their bodies.

They all shared the same droopy expression, empty black eye sockets, and black stitched mouths turned down.

Each blood splotched doll had a letter sewn into their chest.

The one's Naruto recognized immediately, were a pair of dolls with long black bushes of hair, and the letters '**DB**' sewn into their chests. One of the dolls had a bloodied stump for an arm, and the other had a long line of stitches under it's left lung.

In the exact place of the human spleen.

Harime began cackling as the Rain nin started freaking out and begging for their lives.

Naruto, ignored their tears and promises to give up their scroll, as well as the fact that the room smelled like an unsanitary meat market, in favor of studying the Toy Box more thoroughly.

There was a dark oakwood door across from the redhead, and two blood clones of Harime's old human form stood guard on either side of it.

The clones wore twin skimpy black maid outfits, thigh high white socks kept up by a lacey garter belts, and lollipop red mary janes. Their heads were hidden by beige knitted sacks with blue button eyes, and wide, sloppy stitched grins. Their drill-like pigtails spilled out of frayed holes in the sides of their ragdoll masks.

With all of that, they had their differences. The one on the right had the kanji for '**1**' stitched in black on her mask's forehead, and held a rusting chainsaw. The one on the left, had the kanji for '**2**'. There was a gigantic spiked iron ball where her left hand should have been.

Hairme had named them 'The Wardens'. Declaring them in charge of keeping the Toy Box in order.

They bowed in absolute sync, chorusing: "Welcome, Naruto-sama."

"Sup." Naruto nodded in greeting, grumbling to herself soon after, "Why the hell aren't _my_ clones this respectful? They talk to me like I'm some kind of lazy mob boss..."

Harime giggled, releasing the Rain nin from their shadow possession.

They immediately huddled together, and tossed Naruto their Earth Scroll, which the redhead caught effortlessly with one hand.

"H-here! _Take_ it! J-just let us all g-go already!"

"Well, this jutsu will probably be good for holding interrogations." Naruto decided, solemnly slipping the Rain nins' scroll into the seal on the back of her tongue.

"Ichi." Naruto ordered, finally pulling her mask back over her nose.

"Hai." The clone intoned, revving up her rusted contraption. "Wakey wakey little dolls."

Naruto watched violet lights flicker to life within every empty eye socket of the dolls hanging from her Toy Box's ceiling.

The dolls began struggling sluggishly, the room filling with the keens of the lost.

"Oh my God!" One of the Rain nin choked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Please don't hurt us!" Another cried.

"What the hell _is_ this!?" The last one yelled helplessly. "How sick are you?"

Naruto, satisfied with her experiment's results, smiled with her eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you guys." She waved them off. "You don't even have the air about you that you've had your first kills. I only seriously pray on real scumbags."

"But we didn't have any fun Naru-chan." Harime whined, sinking into the shadows, and raising again to drape her unnaturally warm form over the redhead's back. The pigtailed apparition pressed her cheek against Naruto's from behind. "Lets try the first stage of our other new jutsu."

Naruto looked to her left, into the glowing red pits of Harime's eyes. "You sure? We haven't quite got the hang of it yet, and I can only hold it for ten minutes."

"Mhmm~" Her other half hummed. "We move super fast in that form, so ten minutes is more then enough. We can get to Snakey-chan and get rid of him long enough for somebody to come help."

"Well, if you say so." Naruto shrugged, releasing her spacial jutsu.

The Forest of Death returned, but the trees still dripped with Naruto's toxic blood, slowly killing the surrounding vegetation.

"**Secret Art: Blood Shadow Fusion**." Naruto muttered, hand held in the rat sign, forcing Harime's body to reform, and slide around hers.

"**Reaper Mode Version One: Phantasm**."

Naruto winced as the shadows stitched themselves into her skin, slipping around her bare arms, mingling within her very molecules.

The Rain nin had long ago fled, but had they stayed, they would've seen something truly... unidentifiable.

Naruto's skin had turned pitch black.

Her cloak's hem brushed the forest floor, swaying to a nonexistent breeze. The coat's white zipper was all the way up, starting at her waist, ending in a high collar that hid the lower half of her face. The zipper bisected the human ribcage design on the front of her cloak, housing a pair of lungs and a glowing pink heart that contracted visibly within the cage of calcium.

It was a truly strange sight, as if, even though the being Naruto had become was made of darkness, her body was still somehow transparent.

Just above Naruto's navel, her coat was open, flowing freely down around her ankles, revealing that her pants had the lower half of a human skeleton printed on the front.

The high collar of her coat now had a sickled hood attached to it, pulled over her hair. On either side of the hood were Harime's glowing eyes. The rim, was serated, like Harime's teeth, the inside a blinding white, just like her mouth.

The sclera of Naruto's eyes were as black as her skin, webbed with glowing red veins, leading to equally bright irises.

Naruto's form radiated a dark smog, giving her the appearance of a phantom. Hence the first stage reaper mode name: Phantasm.

Black chains shot up from the left of Naruto's shadow, and she caught them. The sunlight shined over her hands, and you could see her bones through her blackened flesh.

The devil eyed teen drew the shadow chains from beneath her, pulling a _kusarigama_ (chain scythe) up, and grasping the handles with ease.

She called her blood from the surrounding oaks, and it rushed beneath her feet, rising up. With Naruto riding atop it, the floating blood began swiveling around the trees, towards her team.

* * *

Sasuke somersaulted to the side, narrowly avoiding the volley of mud balls that had just been spat at him. The attack connected with the space the young Uchiha had just occupied, reducing the branch to large splinters.

Sakura cowered in the tree next to him, her hair mused and damp with sweat, the right side burned away by a stray fire jutsu she almost couldn't dodge, and her left cheek nicked by a shuriken, still seeping a thin line of red.

Sasuke fought with everything he had, his hand clamped over the right side of his neck, where Orochimaru had bitten him. And _Kami_ did the bite throb something fierce.

The man had said he desired to give Sasuke power. That he could tell him the truth behind his father's death. That it wasn't jealous nin who had killed him. That justice hadn't truly been served, even though the Hokage had the traitors who murdered his father put to death.

He said that someone had _ordered_ his father to be assassinated.

Sasuke didn't know what to believe.

On the one hand, Orochimaru was an infamous traitor, and he could be, probably was, lying.

On the other, what if he was telling the truth? Who had really been responsible for his father's death?

Wasn't it up to him as his son, to make sure justice was rightly served?

* * *

"G-gah!" Sasuke coughed up blood as a foot slammed square in the center of his chest.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed, sweating hands clasped before her heart, and tears welling in her green eyes.

Sasuke crashed into the tree's trunk, his head smashing back, before he slumped in a sitting position.

Sakura bit her lips in a panic.

_'Oh no! What do I do? What do I do!? Sasuke's unconscious and I can't fight a Sannin! I'm dead! Kami I'm so dead. Naruto... where **are** you?'_

Just then, when Sakura was ready to abandon all hope, a fountain of blood splattered across the tree branch Orochimaru was on. She _never_ thought she would be so happy to see so much blood.

But, she was.

The pinkette watched as most of the blood crystallized over Orochimaru's legs, paralyzing him. Shadows slithered from either side of him, coiling around his arms, and forcing them apart so he was incapable of performing jutsu.

"What the devil?" The Sannin spat, struggling against his restraints. With brute strength alone, the blood around his legs began to web with cracks, threatening to shatter.

The shadows forcing his arms wide apart began receding as he writhed.

Sakura's silent prayers were once again answered when the rest of the blood splatter formed two blood clones of Naruto.

Sakura realised a pitiful sob of relief when they immediately ran to retrieve Sasuke.

_'Thank Kami... Oh thank you Kami...'_ She thought, allowing her tears to fall.

The pinkette flinched as something blurred past her from behind. A black chain whistled through the trees, wrapping around the snake Sannin's left arm, just as he broke free from his restraints, and brutally ripped it off at the elbow.

The chain receded, taking the severed limb with it. The once smirking man was now howling, reflexively moving to clutch at his new stump with his other arm, only for the chain to return, and wrap around that one.

"No-" He screamed as the chain tore off his remaining arm.

The chain was pulled back to whoever had commanded it from behind Sakura, stealing the snake man's last arm.

The pinkette couldn't look away.

Her ears were muted to his wails of rage and agony. The Sannin had seemed invincible mere _moments_ before. But now... Here he was. Orochimaru of the Sannin. Hissing in pain, fresh stumps spewing geysers of blood, and looking ready to drop dead.

While he was distracted, one of Naruto's blood clones slung the unconscious Uchiha over her shoulder, while the other glared at Orochimaru, senbon drawn and held in a reverse grip.

"Sakura." The clone holding Sasuke barked. "Go around pedo-hebi to the right, we're heading to the tower. _Now_."

"O-okay!" The pinkette nodded, doing as she was told. Because she knew if Naruto's clones were being serious, it was no time to be difficult.

Orochimaru finally tore from his restraints, seething with hatred. Sakura would bet the other half of her hair that he could kill her without arms.

Not wanting to test that theory, Sakura sped through the trees, ignoring her aching legs, knowing Naruto's blood clones were watching her back and that Sasuke wasn't far behind.

When she finally had a bit of a pace set, the pinkette couldn't hold in her scream of absolute terror. Because suddenly, a black chain wrapped around her mid-section, yanking her clean off her feet.

An equally black form blurred in front of her. She noted the chain flowing from it's left side was around herself. Looking to her own right, she saw another chain leading from the shadow's right. That one, was wrapped around Sasuke's mid-section.

Sakura's eyes watered from the high speeds she was being pulled at, and miraculously, she didn't even _brush_ a tree. She stared at Sasuke as her tears were whipped away by the winds, who looked a little better then a rag doll as his unconscious form was pulled along.

Sakura looked ahead again, trying to focus on the silhouette that pulled her through the trees.

She furrowed her brows in confusion when she got a glimpse of something _beating._

Not understanding, the pinkette the closed her eyes.

If she ignored the constricting feeling around her waist, and listened to the sound of the wind, she felt almost as if she was flying.

Strangely, Sakura fell asleep.


	22. It's All Fun And Games

**You guys sure can make a girl blush. Thanks so much, I'm glad you all like my randomness and screwed up fem Naruto.**

**Speaking of Naruto, I don't own it. (Or the cover image).**

**WARNINGS: Profanity, violence, slight Yuri, sexual harassment, and disturbing themes.**

**This chapter doesn't have any action. The next one will though, pinky promise.**

**NO PAIRINGS!**

**Without further adieu, enjoy.**

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura were in the infirmary getting patched up. It had only been thirty minutes since team seven escaped from the Forest of Death.

Two halves of the same being were taking full advantage of the two Genin's absence.

Harime's shadowed body sat before Naruto. Both in relaxed positions with their legs folded. Naruto's hands were face up on her knees, and Harime's were face down over hers, their fingers intertwined.

They sat in a state of deep meditation, calling their rampant chakra back into its coils, and calming their accelerated heartbeats from their previous symbiosis.

Naruto had studied Harime's new body while sealed within her coffin, and found, while the shadows did consume Harime's flesh, she was reborn into the shadows. If you cut her deep enough, Harime would bleed.

It was truly fascinating.

Naruto's blue-green eyes snapped open as the last of her chakra was guided back into place.

She was alarmed to see the glowing pits that had become Harime's eyes, were empty.

"She must be seeing things through Kabuto right now." The redhead realized.

Naruto smirked, knowing when her other half returned to her, she would have information for her.

And what things Naruto could do with the right information.

* * *

Kabuto finished bonding the cells of the arms he'd stolen to Orochimaru's stumps.

The slightly tan arms that were connected to the Snake Sannin's previous stumps belonged to a male Grass ninja that Kabuto had snuck up behind, and slit the throat of. He used a kunai to cut off the jagged ends of Orochimaru's wounds, and connected the arms of the Grass nin to his leader as temporary prosthetics. Because the flesh wasn't the Snake Sannin's, they would eventually rot, until he got a new pair from someone else.

The glasses wearing male, healed up the scars around the perimeter of his leader's arms as best he could, and pulled Orochimaru's long sleeves over the stolen limbs.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose, using his chakra to cast a genjutsu that would make possible enemies overlook them. He sensed people nearby.

"Your new arms will not last, Orochimaru-sama." He informed. "You only have about two weeks before we have to search for another person with your blood type. "

Scowling, Orochimaru tested out his new limbs, wiggling the unfamiliar fingers, before going through chakra-less hand seals at a slow pace.

"These will have to do, Kabuto." Orochimaru hissed.

The glasses wearing young man nodded, stepping back from his quite obviously ill tempered leader.

"If I may be so bold, My Lord." Kabuto finally said.

"What is it?" The snake man snarled, his mood absolutely _wilting_.

"Who could have taken your arms?"

The gray haired boy flinched when ravenous killing intent spilled off of his leader's form, and his pale face became ugly with rage.

"That blasted Fourth's little bastard." Orochimaru snarled. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Kabuto's black eyes widened.

"Change of plans, Kabuto." The snake said, causing his subordinate to straighten up. "At first, I was content to burn this village to the ground. But before the end of invasion, I will have that cursed Uzumaki."

Kabuto swallowed, having never seen his leader so overcome with blatant hatred.

The undercover nin almost pitied Naruto.

"The signal is the same." Orochimaru continued. "When Gaara begins transforming into the One Tailed Beast, you will place a genjutsu on those in the stadium, and my hidden forces and Sand nin will begin the invasion. I am certain the Fourth will be preoccupied with sealing the Ichibi once more. The Third will try to sustain order, and that will be my chance to trap him, and kill him."

Kabuto forced himself to remain solemn. Though, he didn't see the change in plans quite yet. But when he saw the spiteful smile that began splitting his leader's face in two, he knew he would soon find out.

"Your new job, is to capture that thrice damned Namikaze spawn, so that when we make our retreat to Sound, I may torture her."

"As you command, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto said.

"I don't care how you go about capturing the brat, just _do_ it." The snake spat. "Because if you fail, I cannot tell you what will happen to you for letting her get away with taking my arms."

Kabuto gulped, and nodded slowly.

He wondered shortly if he'd actually be able to capture Uzumaki. She was, after all, the Fourth's daughter, as well as the person who had ripped his master's arms off. That was no easy feat. And Kabuto was certain he'd have a difficult time capturing her, even if he himself was of high Jounin level.

"I will destroy Naruto Uzumaki." The Sannin murmured menacingly. "She will _rue_ the day she ever crossed me..."

Kabuto watched Orochimaru's body melt into blobs of mud as he shunshined, taking his immense killing intent with him. The gray haired man decided, he had to succeed.

Kabuto had seen the wrath reserved just for Naruto in Orochimaru's eyes.

He did not want to be on the receiving end of that darkness.

* * *

Naruto found herself laughing her ass off as Harime finished up telling her of the meeting between Kabuto and Orochimaru.

"So they're planning an invasion?" She snickered. "And they _actually_ think they can destroy Konoha with both my Dad _and_ "The God of Shinobi" alive and well in the same place?"

The redhead pounded her fist against the floor of the room she and her team were assigned to before the Third Exam.

"Gosh that's _rich_!" Naruto cried, mirthful tears pouring out of her eyes.

Harime shook her head, her razor mouth stretched into a smile. "Naru-chan. Stop fooling around, you've gotta tell Daddy about Snakey-chan and his plans."

Naruto flopped onto her back, smothering away the remainder of her laughter.

"You're right you're right." She placated, turning her head to stare into the glowing orbs of her shadow. Naruto's masked face cracked into a grin. "But, I'm going to have a bit of fun at Pedo-hebi's expense when the time is right."

Just when Sasuke and Sakura returned from the infirmary, Naruto disappeared, swept away by a quiet breeze.

* * *

Minato was organizing the last stack of his paperwork before he called his secretary in to collect them.

In a solemn manner, he drew one of his fabled three pronged kunai, preparing to face the person who had shunshined into his office without authorization.

The blonde man blinked as his daughter grasped the masked faces of the two ANBU who had flickered at her right and left. By holding their faces at arms length, she effectively halted their tantos', which were positioned at her vitals.

"My, no manners, any of you." Naruto chided flatly, pulling them towards her, only to throw them both with excessive force into opposite walls.

The ANBU operatives crashed into the walls, and crumbled to unconscious heaps on the floor.

"Stop."

Minato's commanding voice halted the movements of three ANBU squads that flickered into the room. Wordlessly, the silent warriors sheathed their weapons.

"Leave us."

The ANBU bowed, and fled.

Minato put up silencing seals, rendering any bugs that may have been in the room useless for the time being. Standing slowly, the blonde kage rounded his desk to face his uninvited, yet not unwelcome intruder.

The Fourth slipped away his kunai, and folded his arms across his chest.

He studied his only child, noticing the golden streaks in the two braids that led from her temples to the bun tied at the back of her head. He hadn't seen blonde on Naruto's head since she had awakened her blood limit all those years ago.

The blonde man squashed the sudden urge force Naruto into a baggy turtle neck, his parental side appalled at the attire his baby had taken to wearing. He'd been watching the First Exam, and doubted with the new friend Naruto had made, that she would go back to formless jumpsuits anytime soon. The Fourth was also displeased that Naruto was apparently, attracted to a (soon to be maimed) Momochi.

He mentally memoed himself to demote Anko to Tora detail. She was a bad influence.

Minato's blue eyes scanned his child for any injuries she may have attained while in the forest.

Their wasn't a speck of dirt on her.

The Fourth's stomach twisted, eyeing the blemishless abdomen of his child.

_'At least that damned fox is good for something.'_ Minato thought bitterly.

His eyes dulled slightly, remembering the bloody carpet he'd had to have replaced.

The redhead cleared her throat.

Blue eyes blinked, focusing on the serious expression on his child's masked face.

"Dad." Naruto intoned, unknowingly making Minato uneasy. She rarely called him Dad or Daddy anymore. She referred to him as 'Hokage-sama', and a lot of the time, it wasn't even that, because they didn't talk much.

"What is it Naruto," The Fourth said, inwardly wincing at the automatic neutral tone he took while speaking to her. "Shouldn't you be in the Exams right now?"

"Hai." Naruto crossed her arms, mirroring her father. "And I plan to go back. But before I do, you should know we've got rats."

Minato's face instantly darkened.

"I don't know how many, but I know we can't depend on Sand. They're working with our noisy pests."

Noisy.

"Sound." The Fourth scowled.

"Mhm." Naruto confirmed, just as grim. "Orochimaru wants Sasuke, he's here, and is planning an invasion during the Third Exam. The Genin Kabuto Yakushi is his spy, and I'm willing to bet he's got other rodents hiding in the Leaf's ranks."

_'Damn.'_ Minato thought._ 'As if I didn't have enough shit on my plate with Danzo. I've got a feeling that old war hawk is planning some retaliation...'_

"Where did you learn this, Naruto?" The Fourth asked.

Blue-green eyes smirked.

"Why, from the mouth of the snake itself of course. He's become rather taken with the idea of destroying me."

Minato's heart skipped a beat, before it hardened to ice._ 'If that slimy traitor thinks he's going to touch my kid, he's got a whole nother thing coming.'_ The blonde thought viciously.

"The signal that the invasion is going to begin, is Gaara, Sand's Ichibi Jinchuuriki. The attack will begin when he starts his Bijuu transformation. Kabuto will place a genjutsu on those in the vicinity after that."

_'Shit! Just what I need.'_ Minato bit his lip. _'A fucking Bijuu wreaking havoc on my village.'_

"Don't worry Dad." Naruto was smiling with her eyes. "Buy some time. Prepare your Jounin and Chunin for the invasion. Gaara's Bijuu has only one tail. He will be easier to seal away again then a beast with higher tails."

Minato blinked.

Naruto was certainly uncaring to the fact that a tailed beast was possibly going to be unleashed on the village. But, the Fourth supposed she wouldn't be shaken by the thought of Shukaku when the Nine Tailed Fox was sealed _inside_ of her.

"Oh! You should probably know that Orochimaru marked Sasuke with his cursed seal." Naruto said, as if it was a thing that happened everyday. "You don't have to worry about that though. I can seal it away, so you just worry about keeping the village standing."

Minato had absolutely no idea how to respond to that.

"Well, I imagine my team is wondering where I've gotten off to," Naruto said. "So, later Dad. Happy plotting."

And just like that, the serious atmosphere evaporated.

"Naruto."

The redhead blinked as her father appeared before her, staring down with unreadable eyes.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

Inside, Minato faced conflict.

How could Naruto pretend like she hadn't been locked in a coffin for _months_, or that she wasn't scarred by Danzo, or like she didn't remember the things he and Harime had talked about?

"Where is Harime?"

His child stiffened.

She took a step back from him, her clenched teeth apparent even with her mask on.

"We merged." Naruto stated. "You know that. You were there."

"Are..." Minato swallowed, _god_ this shouldn't be so _hard_. "Are you okay?" He rasped.

He felt horrible when Naruto looked at him in utter bafflement.

_'She really can't comprehend that I care.'_ He realized. _'Good Kami I've screwed up. I've really screwed up.'_

"I..." Naruto struggled to answer when she realized Minato was serious. That he had actually inquired about her wellbeing.

"I'm fine..." She finally managed.

"I'm glad." Minato returned awkwardly.

Before he lost his nerve, before he chickened out like he had so many times before, the Fourth was going to make something perfectly clear. He had told Harime.

So he knew.

Somewhere inside his daughter, she knew.

And now he had to show her.

All of her.

Minato placed a warm hand atop Naruto's head, ignoring the way she tensed.

It was truly pitiful that Minato could slaughter _legions_ of Iwa nin in one sitting, but he couldn't show his own kid a little bit of affection without feeling like he would piss himself.

The Fourth pushed his daughter's long bangs back from her forehead, and leaned down.

Naruto's eyes widened.

Minato placed a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead, and smiled against her skin as she released a startled squeak.

His face was perfectly in control as he watched Naruto stumble back and away from him, a deep pink rising up from beneath her mask.

"W-wh-what t-t-the h-h-hell!?" She stuttered, her voice taking on a shrill quality so very unlike her.

"Watch your mouth." Minato reprimanded before he could stop himself.

Naruto sputtered.

"I'm _leaving_!" She shrieked.

And she did so, a rush of stressed and chaotic winds sweeping through the Hokage's office.

Minato smiled.

* * *

Naruto paced atop the roof of the forest's tower, her face entirely ablaze.

_'Jeez what the hell Dad!? As if I wasn't in enough turmoil with all these memories lurking around in my head!'_ The redhead ran a hand through her bangs, willing away her deep blush.

She plopped down upon the roof, her legs dangling over the edge.

_'Seriously, I don't know how to deal with this drama.'_ Naruto thought, stressed._ 'My entire life he's ignored me. That in itself has made me somewhat resent him. Now he goes against everything I believe and starts caring. Does he even care? Really? Or is it some kind of convoluted guilty responsibility thing? Gah!'_ She mused her bangs up some more.

Naruto shook her head vigorously.

_'Dad, what the hell are you doing to me? Why do I care? Why are my memories messing me up so bad? Ugh... Fuck this sucks.'_

Her eyes drooped, and she felt a familiar itch in her lungs, a craving at the back of her tongue.

_'It's been a while...'_ The redhead realized.

"I need a smoke." Naruto decided.

She pulled her mask down around her chin, rifling around in the pouch at her thigh. Pulling out a pack of half used cigarettes, Naruto slid one from the carton, and stuck it between her lips.

She turned her head to the side, allowing the man that had appeared beside her moments before to light it.

"Thanks Jiji." Naruto muttered.

The wizened Sarutobi nodded acknowledgment.

The two smokers took tranquil drags from their shared vice. One from a battered pipe, and the other from a stick.

"So," Naruto breached, after a few minutes of smoking in companionable silence. "What brings you to the forest, Old Man?"

"I've been here all along Naruto-chan. Observing." The Third admitted.

He turned to his adopted granddaughter, aged face grim. "I sensed my foolish student's chakra."

Naruto sighed, taking a long pull of smoke from her cigarette, before exhaling and telling the old Sarutobi about the invasion.

"Dad will fill you in on what he's planning for the snake and his lackeys, I've no doubt. So chill out, Old Man." Naruto finished.

The Third snorted, studying his granddaughter's profile from the corner of his eye. He winced as she pulled out her second cigarette, stubbing out the butt of the first.

"Minato would _kill_ me if he knew where you got that from." Hiruzen said.

It was Naruto's turn to snort in mirth.

"He doesn't even know I smoke." She said, blowing out a plume of white. "And he doesn't need to. What Dad doesn't know, won't hurt 'em."

The Third smirked. "So _that's_ your mentality is it, you little brat?"

Naruto turned to the old man, wide eyed. "What's with that tone? I haven't done anything illegal recently."

Hiruzen rolled his eyes. "Not illegal, but certainly not good for my blood pressure."

"What did_ I_ do?" Naruto huffed, crossing her arms indignantly. "I _know_ Dad told you I've been sealed for the last few months, so there's _no way_ you have a valid reason for having an attitude."

"Oh?" The Third rose a questioning brow, before crossing his arms. "Then _please_ explain to me why my grandson is now half _bald_."

Naruto paled.

Sarutobi's other brow reached the height of it's twin.

"Konohamaru says it's called an "undercut", but to me, it just looks like his barber was drunk, possibly overdosing on various controlled substances, and finished half the job."

"I can explain." Naruto said quickly.

Hiruzen purses his lips.

"Well?" He said. "I'm waiting."

Naruto rose a single finger, opening her mouth as if to answer, and shunshined.

Sarurobi Hiruzen blinked at the blank space where a trouble making redhead should have been sitting.

"Why that bratty little_\- _NA-RU-_TOOOOOOOO!_"

* * *

**Four Days Later**

* * *

A certain redhead had lied low, avoiding the ear pulling that practically had her name on it, courtesy of one displeased Third Hokage.

Successfully, she had avoided her doom.

Though, Naruto knew her surrogate grandfather was already over any irritation he might have had when he had first seen Konohamaru's hair, and had just pretended to be miffed for Naruto's benefit. He had sensed she was down, and needed a distraction.

Her Jiji had always been good about pulling her from funks.

"Naruto, a Jounin came by saying all Genin in the Exams need to report to the arena." Sakura called, voice muffled from the outside of the team's assigned room.

"Alright I'm coming." Naruto returned, wrapping her beaded belt twice around her hips.

She had spent the time in the tower training lightly, getting the hang of the first two stages of her Reaper Mode. There were three. Phantasm, Head Hunter, and Harbinger. The first stage she could still only hold for only ten minutes, but the second had moved up from two, to five minutes.

She still could only use the last stage, Harbinger, for a few seconds. It was completely out of control. A mixture of Harime's chakra, and Kurama's forming a cloak of power around her. Naruto didn't know what she was doing wrong, or if she simply was not strong enough to use that stage yet.

But she knew one thing.

When she got it down... she'd be cashing in a payback card of hers.

* * *

The Chunin hopefuls that were lined up in the arena were either worn out, battered, or littered in scratches and bruises.

Naruto stood beside Sasuke, who was at her left, with Sakura at her right. The pinkette's hair was now cropped to just beneath her chin in a short spiky bob, courtesy of a kunai wielding Ino. She radiated a subtle confidence.

The broody Uchiha's expression was impassive, but Naruto could sense he was somewhat uneasy. One day after making it to the tower, she had sealed away Orochimaru's cursed Seal of Heaven with her own design.

The Evil Eater seal.

Evil Eater was designed to absorb ill willed chakra, and slowly release it into the air around the bearer of the seal, so it would be canceled out by the natural, much stronger nature chakra in the air.

On the side of Sasuke's neck, were three tomoe, surrounded by a black circle with curling sun rays stretching to his collar bone, shoulder, and upper back. Though, it was covered by his usual high collared blue Uchiha shirt.

At first, the duck haired Uchiha had protested having _Naruto _(a well known psycho), of all people tamper with a _Sannin's_ seal, but with a quick chop to the neck from Kakashi, a smirk of thanks from Naruto, she had sealed up the unconscious Uchiha.

Sakura, Naruto found, was an Earth natured shinobi. Now, the redhead knew forbidden and normal jutsu of every element. Elemental Jutsu just weren't really her style. Though, she had been pleased to find Sakura actually_ did_ up her chakra levels, and could do at least two mid level jutsu now before she was burned out.

Naruto taught the pinkette two normal earth jutsu to chew on before the Third Exam, telling her teammate she was looking forward to her using them _very_ soon.

Sakura had shivered, knowing she was just being used as a ginny pig, but decided she would just be grateful Naruto had helped her out, even if it _was_ for the redhead's own amusement.

Sasuke obviously didn't want help from anyone, though, the fire style demon lantern had been conveniently done by a certain redhead while he'd been training with his sharingan. When questioned, said redhead flippantly replied that there had been a fly.

The Uchiha had a new fire jutsu, and Naruto was assured to have a bit of entertainment during the Exam.

A sickly bandana wearing brunette man appeared before the Chunin hopefuls.

"My name is Hayate Gekko." He drawled between coughs. "I am your next Exam proctor."

He glanced down at the clipboard in his hands, and coughed once more into his fist.

"Before we begin, I would like to ask if anyone would like to forfeit."

"I do!" Kabuto raised his hand, covered in scratches and dirt. He shrugged sheepishly when the Konoha rookies gave him skeptical looks. "I don't have enough chakra to fight anymore. My team barely made it in today." He smiled.

Naruto inwardly scoffed. _'I bet he's plotting how to capture me right now.'_

**'If I wasn't incapable of pity, I would feel sorry for that snake's apprentice.' **Kurama snorted.

Naruto smirked behind her mask._ 'I can't wait until the fun starts.'_

**'Raise hell, Naruto.' **Her Bijuu said, grinning.

"I would like to point out that from this point on, individual decisions will have no negative affects on your teammates." Hayate coughed out.

_'Oh don't worry Kurama. I will...' _The redhead grinned._ 'After all, it's all fun and games.'_

A few more weary people ran for the hills.

"That's it?" Hayate asked, projecting his sickly voice. When no one answered, he cleared his throat. "Okay, so, we will be holding preliminary rounds."

"What the fuck?" Kiba roared.

Ignoring the profanity, the sword wearing Jounin continued. "There is, quite simply, too many of you."

"What!?" A redhead, that was surprisingly _not_ Naruto exploded. "What do you mean?" She huffed.

Hayate rolled his eyes. "I mean what I said. There's too many of you. So get your behinds up to the bleachers, excluding Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi. Seeing as they're the first match."

"Well," Naruto grinned, patting the raven on the shoulder encouragingly. "Fuck 'em up Teme."

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, following the redhead up the stairs to where all the Jounin sensei stood.

"Tch, Dobe." Sasuke scoffed, cracking his knuckles.

"This match is serious. Killing is permitted, but if I say stop, you will. My verdict is absolute, so if I call the match, you stop, or there _will_ be consequences. Got it?" Hayate said.

Facing each other, Sasuke and Yoroi nodded.

"Sup Kakashi-sensei." Naruto greeted.

The silver haired enigma eye smiled. "Yo Naruto-chan, Sakura-chan."

"Hi Sensei." The pinkette waved.

"Begin!" Hayate jumped out of the way, and Sasuke went right in, pulling out shuriken, and hurling them at Yoroi.

Naruto choked on an undignified giggle when someone poked her in her side, (a place she _loathed_ to admit was ticklish).

Ignoring the weird looks she received from Sakura and Kakashi, Naruto turned to her poker.

She blinked as a girl she didn't recognize with shoulder length crimson hair and eyes stared into her own. Said crimson eyes were framed by dark brown narrow glasses. Red eyes wore a short sleeved, butter cream yellow kimono top over a mesh shirt, black short shorts, thigh high black stockings, and lavender colored shinobi sandals.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked bluntly.

The redhead didn't react when Sakura reflexively bashed the top of her head in for her disrespect.

Everyone moved _away_ from the pinkette yearning for death.

"Karin." She introduced, making Naruto curious when she glared at Sakura for hitting her.

"It's Karin Uzumaki."

Sakura began sputtering, and Kakashi's visible eye sharpened.

Blue-green eyes widened slightly, before falling half mast. "My, that's interesting." Naruto drawled.

"Are you perhaps, Naruto Uzumaki?" Karin asked.

Cocking her head to the side, Naruto hummed an affirmative. "I am."

A blood colored brow rose when Karin reached into the gray pouch around her waist. It's dark twin joined it up on Naruto's forehead when her apparently, fellow Uzumaki pulled out a bingo book.

The spectacle wearing girl flipped through the book, crimson orbs lighting up when she found what she was looking for.

"So... this you?" Karin asked, voice barely containing her excitement.

She turned the book around so that Naruto could see.

Shamelessly, Kakashi and Sakura peeked at the script there.

The redhead read what was presented before her.

_Name: Naruto Uzumaki._

_Village: Hidden in The Leaves._

_Aliases: Nuigurumi ningyo, Konoha's Smiling Phantom._

_Ninjutsu: Unknown._

_Genjutsu: Unknown._

_Fuuinjutsu: Master._

_Taijutsu: High A rank._

_Kinjutsu: Well versed._

_Rank: Unknown, possibly S rank._

_Mental State: Deranged._

_Bounty: 8 million ryo. Dead or alive. Posted by Hidan of Tea Country._

_Naruto Uzumaki was recently found out to be Shunshin no Shisui's unknown partner, codenamed Harime. Ms. Uzumaki has cashed in the bounties of over 30 missing nin above B rank. She is hailed as a hero in the land of Waves for the killing of 256 bandits, and has been identified as the creator of the mysterious skinless giant that guards Wave. She is an extremely dangerous young woman._

_Advice: **Do. Not. Engage.**_

On the next page were various pictures of Gato's scorched office, full of massacred bandits, and a few other shots of his thugs' bases, forming a morbid collage of Harime's misadventures. The largest picture was of the masked emblem Naruto wore on her back, painted in blood on Gato's ceiling.

_'So much for laying low. It won't take long before people start realizing I'm not a Genin. Damnit!'_

"Deranged?" Naruto finally said, crossing her arms in annoyance. "I would just like to say, that I can think quite clearly, thank you."

"So, this is you?" Karin asked, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, so what?" Naruto asked.

Her mind went entirely blank when Karin took a fistfull of her mesh shirt, and pulled her closer, smashing her lips over Naruto's masked covered one's.

"Oh come on, _really_!?" Ino threw her hands up.

Kurenai caught Hinata before she could break something from fainting so suddenly.

_'Seriously, is this going to be a running thing now, because I don't really care about gender, but I would really like to kiss a guy for once.' _Naruto thought blandly.

Kurama roared with laughter in the back of her head.

"I'm your biggest fan!" Karin squealed, pulling away from Naruto, and drawing a senbon from the pouch around her waist.

She nearly skewered her fellow redhead in her haste to hand the thin weapon to her.

"Will you sign my bingo book?"

Naruto blinked in utter surprise.

_'I really didn't see that one coming.'_

"I ah, uh sure?" Naruto ran a hand through her bangs, and accepted the offered senbon.

When she sliced her hand open, and dipped it into her fresh wound, Sakura finally found her voice again.

"What!? _Seriously_ Naruto?" Her face scrunched up. "Would it _kill_ you to use a pencil?"

Naruto scrawled her name in blood beneath the 'Do Not Engage' order, inwardly smirking at that.

"Does this sex on legs look like she carries pencils, Sakura?" Naruto asked flatly, trying not to be creeped out when Karin snatched back the bloody senbon and slid it into her shirt.

Sakura flushed, before lifting her nose and turning away. "Hmph!"

Sasuke slammed his foot into the center of Yoroi's chest, sending the bone-manipulating man crashing into the far wall. Said wall cracked behind the man's weight, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Winner by knockout: Sasuke Uchiha." Hayate announced.

"Oh _fuck_ I missed the bastard's match!" Naruto cursed. "Did he at least use demon lantern?"

Kakashi glanced at the redhead with an eye smile. "Yes, but he missed."

"Damnit I_ so_ wanted to see tha-" Naruto released a strangled noise when she felt Karin, (who had taken it upon herself to snuggle into Naruto's side), grope her.

Beet red, Naruto smacked away the hand that had taken hold of her left breast. "What the hell!?" She choked.

_'Oh shut the fuck up Kurama!'_

The mighty Bijuu didn't even to _attempt_ to quiet his uproarious guffaws.

Pouting, Karin glued herself to Naruto's side, and snaked her arms around her fellow redhead's trim waist.

"Y'know, I'm something of a scientist." Karin suddenly leered. "I bet we could figure out a way to recreate our clan."

Kiba fainted from the force of his nosebleed.

Naruto, paled.

"Next match, Tenten vs. Temari Sabaku."

Tenten was by no means weak, but with someone who could blow away her pointy things without even trying, it was a match made in hell.

"My teammates bailed." Karin suddenly said.

Naruto looked at her newly acquired barnacle.

"Where are you from anyways?" She asked.

"Originally a small village that some Uzumaki survivors lived in. But now, I'm living in Grass."

"Hum." Naruto hummed. "So, how'd you make it here?"

"I forced my team to get a heaven's scroll, because I knew if I failed, I'd probably never get to meet you."

Naruto didn't know what to say. "Oh."

"Next match, Rock Lee vs. Sabaku no Gaara."

Naruto watched this match like a hawk, only half listening to Karin at this point.

"Don't you remember flying above my head Naruto-chan?" Karin asked, rubbing her cheek against the redhead's clothed one. "On that river of blood... a drop fell down, and the bear that was attacking me was eaten away like it fell into acid or something."

"Huh? Wow. I didn't even notice." Naruto admitted.

Naruto wanted to say she was appalled by Gaara's brutality, but she couldn't. Part of her, was just as bad. Probably worse, actually. Gaara was crazy, not evil.

The redhead winced as Gai got serious, and took Lee from the room, his right leg and arm crushed into bloody messes.

The room had grown quiet in grim silence.

"I hope Lee-san will be alright..." Sakura whispered.

"Choji vs. Dosu."

Choji tried his best, but Dosu was a resourceful guy.

"Shino Aburame vs. Zaku Abumi."

It didn't take long for the cocky Sound nin to fall to Shino.

Somehow, Shino ended up behind Zaku, his hands forcing Zaku's arms to irregular angles behind him, before he pulled his shoulders right out of his sockets with a loud _pop_.

Zaku screamed in utter agony.

"I warned you to give up." Shino intoned, stepping back as the Sound boy curled up feebly to wail on the arena floor.

"Get up you loser!" Zaku's female teammate, Kin shouted. "You gonna just let bug boy kick your ass like that!?"

_'Whoa, Shino is brutal.'_ Naruto thought, taken aback.

"Please surrender for your own sake." Shino said.

"F-fuck you...!" Zaku screeched, stumbling to his feet.

The Sound shinobi stubbornly forced his arms up to point the tiny wind projecting holes at the stoic Aburame. "I'll fucking kill you, you son of a bitch!"

Shino tried to warn him. "I wouldn't do tha-"

"Decapitating Air Wav-"

_**Boom!**_

In a spray of blood and flesh, Zaku's arms exploded, filling the air with the swarm of insects Shino had snuck into the boy's air-holes.

Once again, Zaku found the floor, and Hayate called the match in Shino's favor.

Zaku was carried out on a stretcher.

"I am now calling the halfway mark." Hayate called. "Those who have not fought yet may take bathroom breaks."

Quite a few people took advantage of this. This included Naruto, who immediately regretted it when she found Karin peeking over her bathroom stall.

The redhead returned to the bleachers, thoroughly mortified, yet giving up on keeping her fellow Uzumaki from sticking to her.

Naruto rose a brow when a black mamba slithered up her leg, and beneath her shirt. She slapped a hand over Karin's mouth when she opened it to shriek in terror.

Crimson eyes gleamed lecherously.

With a yelp, Naruto yanked her hand away when the freak managed to get a few of her fingers into her mouth, nibbling on them.

"The fuck is _wrong_ with you?" The redhead muttered.

Karin only giggled, and snuggled closer.

The snake stopped moving when it's yellow eyes stared directly into Naruto's own. The reptile spat out a slimy wad of paper, poofing out of existence once it's purpose was served. Naruto caught it, unfolding it to read the note there.

Ignoring the curious looks from Karin, and her team, Naruto smirked.

_I pulled a few strings. You're welcome kid._

_-Anko._

"Next match, Naruto Uzumaki vs. Haku."


	23. Frostbite Dressed In Red

**DannyPhantom619: "The Bloody Flash"? Please marry me, because that is brilliant. To answer your questions, it really never crossed my mind to have Naruto learn The Flying Thunder God. But I'll think about it, and probably find a way to make it disturbing. About the village learning of her relation to Minato, that's... a secret ;)**

**A Smiling Skeleton: Ho~? You seem somewhat strange, but I like that. I'll visit your story again very soon, so make sure you update.**

**WARNINGS: Blood, gore, violence, foul language, light sexual harassment, slight Yuri, and dark themes.**

**HEY: I would also like to remind you all there will be no pairings. **

**Okay peeps, let's get this show on the road.**

* * *

The silence in the room was tangible.

Hayate had long since called the match to begin, and two entire minutes went by before anyone made a move.

"Seriously? Somebody shed some fucking blood already!" Zabuza growled.

Chojuro, flushed in embarrassment, inching away from his foul tempered sensei. Chiharu just sighed, shoulders sagging as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Haku's hand inched towards the inside of his blue kimono, still in the mind set of following his master's every order.

"Naruto-san..." Haku murmured. "I have been training to face you again since the last time we met. It has become my goal, to someday be your equal."

The dark haired boy moved to throw the senbon.

"Wait." Naruto intoned.

The ice user flinched at the redhead's monotone, yet, stopped.

Naruto skyrocketed the tension in the atmosphere when the lower part of her mask stretched along with her grin.

"I'm flattered and all Haku, really, I am." She said cheerfully. "But, do you mind if I ask you something before we begin?"

Brown eyes looked into blue-green in confusion. Haku cocked his head to the side, and nodded. "Hai."

Naruto snickered, and pulled out a bone white scroll, no bigger than a normal household jar.

The ice user tensed, as did many others watching the match.

What she unsealed, had the more faint hearted contestants retching, emptying the contents of their stomachs.

Sliding away her scroll, Naruto picked up one of the deathly pale severed arms that had flopped onto the floor.

"Have you seen these before, Haku-chan?" Naruto asked innocently.

Haku drained of all color.

Naruto began waving the deadened arm around tauntingly, playfully. It was stiff, cold, and unnerving.

"Naruto-san... what... _why_..." Haku whispered, disturbed.

The redhead sensed a faint killing intent poison the air. Inwardly, she smiled deviously, noticing the owner of that intent was trying to rein it in, to hide it.

She was going to enjoy this.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Naruto replied easily. She tossed the deadened limb up, and caught it again, with both hands. One of her own held the severed arm's wrist, and the other it's elbow.

"It's really strange actually," Naruto began thoughtfully, her head falling to the side in mock confusion. "I was just strolling through the forest, minding my own business, and there's just a pair of arms lying there! Can you believe it, Haku-chan? I mean, this is a competition full of _Genin_. How _weak_ could this person have been to lose their arms to a _Genin_?"

The killing intent was absolutely monstrous after that.

Jonin prepared for combat, searching for the source of the disturbance. A few Genin fell to their knees in despair, while others stubbornly resisted. Ino burst into tears, Karin pursed her lips, her body subtly quaking, and Sakura began hyperventilating.

The pinkette knew.

She knew this feeling. And even if they were slightly blue, kissed with decay's breath, she also knew that skin. That horrid, white, _reptilian_ skin.

With wide green eyes, she stared at her blue eyed teammate.

But Naruto? She just smiled.

Sakura covered her trembling lips with her hands, and took a deep breath. She stood up tall as some of the other females in the room were forced to tears. She looked at Sasuke, saw that he was calmer than the first time around. And the pinkette recognized something. Sasuke...

He knew it too.

The raven also knew that Naruto, no matter how irrelevant something seemed at times, did everything for a reason.

Even if that something was as twisted as keeping a pair of arms Sakura_ saw_ her tear from someone's body.

Seeing she had everyone's attention, the redhead thought, _'Time for a bit of fun~'_

Naruto snapped the severed arm in two.

**Crunch**.

Many people winced away, the sound disturbing, but the redhead paid that no mind. No... She was honing in on something entirely different.

Naruto could feel it.

The person behind that immense and hateful intent was lusting for her to suffer. To die in the most painful way imaginable. She saw herself tortured over and over again, ripped from her skin, her limbs chopped off, her eyes gouged out, her innards, fed to rabid animals.

This person... _detested_ her. They loathed Naruto with every fiber of their being, and yet, even as she mocked them in front of a room full of people, they could do nothing in retaliation.

And she loved it.

Naruto tossed the abused limb next to its twin as if it were trash.

_'Grand finale time.'_

"Well, never mind that Haku-chan, they're worthless anyways. I'll just get rid of these eyesores before we begin, 'kay?" The redhead chirped.

She gave the paler than usual ice user no time to actually respond, as she had already snapped her fingers, causing a concentrated strom of winds to tear the arms to gory shreds.

When the winds faded, there was nothing left but pitiful strips of flesh, speckles of bone, and streaks of blood.

The killing intent was practically corporeal by this point, seeming to be screaming: _You're dead! I'm going to kill you, I will revel in it, and you will suffer. You. Are. **Dead**._

And Naruto laughed.

She laughed until she was nearly blue.

Her stomach clenched almost painfully as she folded over, and she clutched at it, liquid gathering at the corners of her gleefully arching eyes. She almost expected to begin vomiting blood, but soon found her amusement overriding that passing thought.

The people that could breathe through the intent, were horrified.

The redhead found amusement in what she had done, they realized. For whatever reason she had done it... it had been fun.

She was having fun.

"Stop it."

And just like that, the asphyxiating intent evaporated.

Naruto stood up properly once more, thumbing away the wetness at her eyes with a mirthful sigh.

People could breathe again. They were not having visions of their own gruesome demise, and because of this, they gasped for breath as if it was the last time that would have such a privilege.

The killing intent was forced back into the person who had admitted it so carefully, that Naruto found herself impressed.

She sensed it. The rage. So meticulously packed away into the person she had intentionally provoked.

Naruto looked to the far left corner of the bleachers, where most of the Jonin Sensei had gathered, making eye contact with a pale male Jonin of Sound. His hair was black, pulled up in a high ponytail that fell down his back.

She smirked.

Kurama sensed the barely contained hatred spilling from that Sound nin.

**'What a lousy disguise.'** He insulted.

_'Pfft.'_ The redhead snorted in agreement.

**'Well, now I know what his hatred feels like. You will know when he is near from this point on.'**

_'Thanks Fox, I don't know what I'd do without you.'_

**'Perhaps you would be moderately sane.'** Kurama offered blandly.

The redhead snickered.

Naruto turned from the tense Jonin, but she could still feel his gaze peeling her of skin.

Blue-green eyes slid over to the balcony holding the Yondaime, Sandaime, Mizukage, and their bodyguards.

Minato stared at her, and she knew. Her father knew exactly what she had just been doing.

Provoking a Sannin.

He just didn't know what _for_. And though Naruto wouldn't deny a lot of it was simply for her own amusement, another part was because she needed to know of Orochimaru's whereabouts, so that she could move accordingly when the invasion commenced. With Kurama's help, she would always sense Orochimaru's hatred for her, therefore, she would always know his location.

"If you are quite done, Ms. Uzumaki." Her father called, causing people to straighten up in the powerful presence of Konoha's legendary kage.

"Please begin your match." The Yellow Flash ordered.

Chuckling with a fake sheepishness, Naruto smiled disarmingly with her eyes.

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

Naruto slid her cloak from her shoulders, wadding it up and tossing it across the room onto the stairs leading to her fellow Genin. Now clad in her black capris, red sandals, and tinted mesh shirt, the redhead faced Haku.

"I've got a feeling I'll be stabbed, and I like that coat." Naruto shrugged.

Haku just sighed, somewhat used to Naruto's eccentricities, and slid into a combat pose.

With smiling eyes, Naruto slid off a skull ring on her right hand, the hidden blade scraping the skin there, drawing metallic pearls of ruby. Slipping it into her pants pocket, the redhead cock her head to the side.

Haku's expression became firm, and he flipped his senbon between his fingers.

"Here I come."

There were two distortions of air as the teens disappeared.

_Clang!_

The screech of acquainted weapons made many occupants in the room wince.

Naruto had met the ice user halfway, both of them suddenly weilding long blades created from their given bloodlimit.

Naruto grinned as Haku strained against her, his senbon encased in a large machete of crackling ice.

A masked grin greeted a small smile.

Both teens fell into a beautiful kenjutsu battle.

Haku was quick and sharp. Naruto fluid and artful. The brunette attacked with quick jabs, following up with blurring slices. Naruto wove around his strikes, as nimble as a feline, twisting and spinning around the ice user, sliding in her own strikes when she saw the chance.

Over and over again their blades met.

Warm against cold.

Ice against blood.

Sparks flew as they clashed.

_Clang! Clang! Clang!_

Some couldn't even follow their movements.

Haku charged at Naruto, swinging at her liver. With one hand holding her blade in a reverse grip, Naruto blocked him, holding his blade's edge at bay with the flat of her own.

Both teens leapt back, and Haku took the chance to draw a scroll.

"You've gotten faster." Naruto observed.

The brown eyed teen smiled softly. "I've also learned a few things, by taking your example, Naruto-san."

The scroll in his hands fell open, and with a charge of chakra, a flood of crystal waters spilled from it, until it was nearly knee deep. On the sidelines, Hayate stepped above the new water levels, annoyed at his soaking pants.

"Oh?" Naruto drawled, pleasantly surprised. "It would seem you have."

She hopped onto the water. "I'm curious as to where you're going with this. So, I'll tell you what. I'll ignore the fact that you've probably forgotten I can infect nearly anything, and only claim half of your efforts."

Haku, along with many others raised a brow at this, but Naruto's team, and Zabuza knew exactly what she was talking about.

The blood sword in her hand liquefied, and plopped into the knee deep depths beneath her feet.

Awed gasps filled the room at the result.

Understanding bloomed across the ice user's face as the red in the waters spread, not unlike a ghastly contagion, and split the liquid flooding the room in half. One half clear waters, and the other thick blood.

"**Blood Release: Acid Blood Infection.**"

"Oh pickles." The ice user mumbled.

"Haku, you fool." Zabuza huffed.

The ice user pursed his lips at his own folly, and darted across the water, when he reached the blood, his blade was stopped inches from Naruto's throat by a wall of metallic red.

"My, I've seem to have overlooked your resourcefulness yet again, Naruto-san." Haku murmured.

"Perhaps." Naruto replied. "But I haven't done the same to yours."

The teen's completed their one handed seals in unison, and Naruto's bloody barrier fell.

"**Hidden Art: A Thousand Needles of Death!**"

"**Blood Relase: Fox Hunt.**"

Naruto back flipped, discretely dropping a sealing tag into her blood. Water rose up from behind Haku, only to freeze into hazardous needles, spraying her with icey projectiles.

Naruto skillfully evaded the ice user's attack by completing a smooth chain of back hand springs and areal somersaults. As she moved, large, angry, dog-like creatures dragged themselves onto the surface of her blood. They shimmered, becoming skinless bleeding kitsune with snarling white fangs.

Growling, the pack of twelve lunged for Haku.

Naruto uncurled from her last back hand spring, sliding back two feet with a hand steadying herself atop her blood.

Haku sliced his ice sword through the throat of a fox that leapt at him, drawing a wounded cry from the grisly creature before it burst into blood. He twirled around, sandaled foot crushing snout of one that had prowled behind him, all whilst running through more hand seals.

"**Hidden Art: Seeker's Spikes!**"

Haku flipped behind the whinning, broken nosed fox, chucking his sword through the skull of another that jumped at him. He quickly dropped to one knee, and wrapped his hands around the fox's muscled, blood slicked neck, cleanly snapped it with a ruthless _crack_.

As the fox collapsed to blood, Haku's jutsu came to life.

The brunette stood, tearing his blade from the beast's skull with a spray of blood, and began flickering from point to point with pure speed. As the ice user carved a quick, bloody path through Naruto's hideous kitsune, the redhead stood atop her blood, searching.

She hadn't bothered to make her blood acidic. She was sure her opponent had noticed that.

Her eyes widened.

"Oh fu-"

Ice spikes shot up from beneath her, tearing straight through her stomach, chest, thighs, and biceps.

"Naruto!" Sakura choked.

The redhead hung in the air, blue-green eyes staring unseeingly into the depths of her blood. Red trickled from her wounds, sliding down the Mist nin's frozen spokes.

Thirty seconds crawled by in silence as Naruto hung limpy, skewered by ice.

Haku stared at Naruto with wide, chocolate eyes.

All of her kitsune had burst the moment she had slumped, devoid of life.

"Oh my god..." Karin covered her mouth with her hands.

Mournfully, Hayate stepped forward to call the match.

"Just kidding."

Haku flinched when someone crashed through Naruto's blood, wielding a screaming chainsaw of all things, sending blood spraying in all directions from it's rotating blades. The intruder cut through the ice still suspending Naruto in the air, and she fell with a splash, floating lifelessly in her blood.

After being cut, the frozen spikes shattered like glass, and speckled Naruto's blood, where it was consumed.

"I thought I heard Naruto's voice...!" Haku gasped.

The intruder turned to him, and he found himself unable to suppress his shiver.

The chainsaw brandishing female had hair just like Naruto's. Only, in long drill-like pigtails protruding from either side of a knitted doll mask. She was garbed in an indecent, blood soaked maid's uniform, and bright red mary jane's.

"Naruto-sama, likes games." The intruder said blankly. "Naruto-sama wants to play dolls."

Naruto, who had been floating face down in her blood after being cut free, floated up. She called the blood saturating her hair and clothing, returning it to the pool under her.

Now flying in the air, her legs were folded beneath her as if meditating, she had not a speck of red on her. Her eyes were smiling, and there were black tendrils sprouting from the surface of her blood, stitching her grievous wounds neatly closed.

"We are Naruto-sama's wardens." A new, identical voice informed.

Haku gasped, and ducked, just in time, as _another_ pigtailed girl leapt from his water behind him, attempting to knock his head clean off his shoulders with a monstrous iron ball.

The ice user fell forward onto his hands, kicking his legs up, and out behind him, landing a rabbit kick into the girl's chin.

She flew several feet back, neatly flipping in the air to land on one knee before she could crash through the surface of his water.

"Keepers of her dolls." She finally finished, darting at Haku the same time as her chainsaw holding twin did.

The ice user began sweating as The Wardens engaged him in combat. They were merciless, mindless killing machines with no purpose but to fulfil Naruto's will.

"**Hidden Art: Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors**!" Haku exclaimed.

A wall of ice rose up between the brunette teen and Ichi. Four surrounded Ni, and a sheet of ice covered the top, boxing her in.

"**Hidden Art: Frostbite Cage**!" Haku held his hand out in front of him, and clinched it into a fist.

The mirror flew forward, and Ichi didn't bother to dodge as it slammed into her, spikes shooting out from its sides, curving around to puncture her in the back. She hung limpy as she was pierced, looking as if she had been caged in by a ribcage of ice.

There was a short pause.

Everyone flinched as there was a loud bang.

Ni began wildly throwing herself into the mirrors around her, bashing her own skull in and soaking her mask through with sopping red.

Apparently seeing this method didn't work, Ni swung her altered hand made of metal into the mirror in front of her, causing it to begin sprouting cracks. She threw herself through the hole she created, rolling nimbly to her feet in one smooth maneuver.

Haku inched away from her as she stared at him with black button eyes.

Before anyone could blink, she was suddenly in front of him, grasping his face.

Ni lifted Haku clean off his feet, and tossed him into the air. The ice user yelped, attempting to catch himself. With a quick roundhouse, Ni's foot nearly caved the brunette's chest in as it connected with his abdomen, sending him clear across the arena, where he splashed roughly to a groaning heap.

She cocked her head to the side as Haku struggled to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, before she shrugged.

Ni turned around, approaching her downed comrade. She lifted her iron ball, and sent it crashing into the mirror holding her fellow warden captive. With her inhuman might, she smashed it to pieces.

Haku, who was trying valiantly to catch his breath, gasped, and dove to the side as Ni came crashing down from above. Her iron ball sent a huge wave of water into the air, and left a deep crater in the stone floors. The brunette flipped onto his feet, rapidly bobbing and weaving as Ichi tried to bisect him with her roaring chainsaw.

Finally managing to pull her weapon from it's crater, Ni once again joined the fray.

Haku began to perspire as Naruto's "wardens" began mercilessly dogging him again.

Speaking of Naruto, she was still flying, and plucked a bead from her belt. Crushing it in her fist, she held her hand palm up.

As blood expelled from the broken seal, she sent it splattering across the ceiling with wind chakra.

"**Fuuinjutsu Style: One Prong Spacial Eater.**"

Symbols stretched across the ceiling, blood dripping down as they began glowing blue.

Solemnly, Naruto reached behind her, pulling a large scroll from the tattooed skin of her back.

More gasps filled the room as bodies began falling from the ceiling, jerking to a stop, held there by nooses. It was only the center of the ceiling, instead of the off white it should have been, it faded to brick gray lined with frost.

"Ichi, Ni." Naruto called.

"Hai, Naruto-sama." They chorused, leaping back grandly to flank her sides.

Haku panted, finally free of their cutthroat assault. They'd had him dodging so frantically, he was nearly next to Naruto again.

Haku's shoulders drooped slightly, and his clothes were torn in various places where he had nearly been ripped to shreds by Ichi's chainsaw. His left arm was broken in several places, where he had been a moment to slow to avoid Ni's iron ball. It hung limply at his side, puncture wounds from the ball's spikes weeping streams of crimson.

The rest of Naruto's blood spread, until it fully infected Haku's water, and she sealed it's mass into her scroll, before that was once again sealed into her back.

Suddenly, Ni swept Ichi's feet from beneath her, catching her left foot before she could completely fall. With her only hand, she swung her twin around with monstrous strength, letting go and sending her sailing into the air.

Ichi flipped, landing on the ceiling before she ran across it, weaving through the corpses dangling there, and cutting them free.

One by one, they fell to the floor with wet squelches or loud cracks, revealing they that were life sized rag dolls.

"What the-"

Haku, who had been stunned stiff, was cut off as Ichi pushed off the ceiling, landing back onto the arena floor with a huge quake that had dust clouds stirring, and the ground under her caving in four feet.

Everyone gawked, flinching as she revved up her rusting contraption once more.

"Wakey wakey little dolls." She called.

Violet lights flickered to life in the voids of the dolls' eyes.

Karin gasped. "They... they have chakra...!"

Neji and Hinata activated their Byakugan, venous eyes bulging at the fully developed chakra networks under the toys' knitted covers.

"This can't be...!" Neji croaked.

"How...?" Shikamaru muttered.

The astounded murmurs filling the room were cut short as dolls began writhing, lifting themselves up off the floor as if on strings. They left bloody footprints in their wake, shambling over to the wounded ice user, filling the room with the stench of preserved corpses.

Naruto's eyes arched into happy cresents.

"**Secret Art: Corpse Party.**"

Sakura shook her head, pale as death, and ran a hand through her choppy locks with a morbid smile. "She really did it."

Sasuke just sighed as Kakashi sent his team a questioning look.

Sakura mirrored the Uchiha's sigh, sounding way too worn for a thirteen year old. "She created a new jutsu because "corpse party" sounds "wicked cool"."

"Of course she did." Kakashi muttered blandly.

Naruto swiped blood from Ichi's wounded back, using it to draw symbols on the floor.

"**Fuuinjutsu Style Summoning: Hidden Toy Box.**"

A large, dark wooden chest rose from the symbols glowing on the floor. The dolls suddenly stopped moving, no one seeming to notice the tiny strings of shadows extending from Naruto's own, to every one of her tortured rag dolls.

_'Shadow Posession Jutsu complete.'_

"Whaddyou say Haku-chan?" Naruto chirped. "You wanna keep going? I gotta warn you though, these toys are vengeful. They slaughter anything that moves. And only I can put them to bed."

"I will have to pass on that." Haku admitted, looking haggard. "Please put away your um... dolls." He said uncomfortably.

"In that case..." Naruto canceled her Spacial Eater, sending it's ceiling back into the Toy Box.

"Ichi, Ni." The redhead drawled.

"Hai, Naruto-sama."

The Wardens went about gathering the nooses of Naruto's dolls, which were still around their necks. Naruto released them from her shadow, and The Wardens dragged them back over to their master. Ni unlatched the Toy Box, and Ichi kicked it open.

"We will hang them back up in the Toy Box, Naruto-sama." They intoned.

They then proceeded to shove the living, bloodied toys into the chest, before following.

With a smile, Naruto closed her Toy Box, sending it back to The Underground.

"We'll have to play dolls some other time, Haku-chan."

* * *

**Kage Box**

* * *

The Mizukage smiled. "My, that Naruto is quite a frightening, yet lovely young kunoichi." She praised.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked over at the lava haired woman, and smiled. "Why yes, Naruto-chan is full of surprises."

"Haku is only a Genin in name, so I am quite surprised that Naruto pushed him so far, and so easily as well." The woman said, still looking a bit skeptical at what she had witnessed, but pleased as well.

The Yondaime looked over at the beautiful Terumi Mei. "What makes you say it was easy for her?" He asked, curious.

Mei's glossy lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"I have a feeling that Naruto hasn't shown us all of what she is capable of." Mei said. "She is cunning, and very skilled. There is no way that girl should be a Genin. And dare I say it, a Chunin either. They are ranks beneath her."

Both Hokage hummed thoughtfully, nodding in agreement.

"Just like Haku, Naruto is only a Genin in name." The Third admitted. "Though, I am quite pleased with the performance of both. Minato?"

The blonde kage turned to his predecessor, and nodded. "Only Naruto will move on, as those are the rules. But I think we can all agree it won't matter, as they are both beyond ready for Chunin rank."

Mei nodded. "Hai. I am excited to see what else the Leaf has to offer."

They all turned back to the happenings below.

* * *

"H-how...?" Haku asked what nearly everyone was thinking.

Naruto smiled, and swiped up sealing tag that was on the floor by her feet. "You never noticed that I dropped this after your first jutsu."

When Haku only raised a brow, she chuckled.

"It summons my Wardens directly from the Toy Box. When I was ka-bobbed-" many people winced at her crassness. "-I played dead, convincing you for a short time that I was by dispelling my foxes. The discharge of chakra they gave off from being released activated this seal, summoning my Wardens. They then waited for the right time to act, hidden beneath us. Ichi freed me, and Ni traveled under my blood to your water so that she could ambush you while still in shock."

The ice user blinked for a long moment, before he sighed softly.

"I... see." Haku murmured. "Naruto-san, I can't figure out if you're a genius, or just out of your mind."

Naruto laughed, before she shrugged honestly. "It's probably a bit of both."

Haku chuckled gently, and shook his head. "Well, I suppose this means I concede. It appears I will need more training before I can reach you, Naruto-san."

"I'll be waiting." The redhead grinned.

Naruto used wind chakra to propel her sleeveless jacket into the air, and pull it over to her. Suspended in the air, Naruto slipped into the long, skull patterned accessory. Pulling her hair out of the back, Naruto offered the battered ice user a two fingered salute, and shunshined beside her team.

The redhead was slightly pale and short of breath, having lost more blood then she had originally anticipated, but she would be fine.

She gave the sickly proctor a cheerful thumbs up.

Hayate rolled his eyes. "Winner by forfeit, Naruto Uzumaki."

Haku took that moment to promptly collapse in unconsciousness, exhausted.

Med nin swamped him, and carried him off on a stretcher.

"You did good, ya damn brat." Zabuza grinned sharply.

Naruto flushed rose red as the Mist nin walked over and patted her head. He ruffled her bangs with a wink, and disappeared in a swirl of water, no doubt going to check on Haku.

Willing away a her blush, Naruto was too lazy to dodge when Sakura bashed the top of her head in with her fist.

"Naruto you baka!" She screeched. "I thought you were dead!"

Karin hissed at the pinkette like a snake, and in the same breath, she cooed at Naruto, nursing the steaming lump that rose up atop her head.

Sakura harrumphed, folding her arms across her flat chest in irritation. "Why do you have to be such a demented freak Naruto?" She demanded.

"Awww," Naruto pouted mockingly. "You weren't worried about me, were you Forehead?"

"Hmph!" Sakura huffed. "As_ if!_ In fact, it's a shame you survived."

"Ouch." Naruto muttered. "Feeling the love pinky, I'm feeling the love."

"Awwww~" Karin gushed, shooting a nasty sneer at the bubblegum haired Haruno. "_I_ love you Naruto-chan~" She clung to her fellow Uzumaki and hugged her, purposely smooshing her face between Naruto's breasts.

"Your sick." Sasuke muttered, watching the squealing Uzumaki from the corner of his eye.

Karin paid the disturbed looks she was getting no mind, and continued to cuddle Naruto's cleavage.

Naruto, gave up, and admitted to herself that she partially liked it.

"Next match, Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno."

Sakura, who was still fuming over being called forehead, viciously vaulted herself over the railing, and landed in a crouch. Ino, took her sweet time on the stairs.

When the ash blonde _finally_ stood across from her long time rival, she smirked. "I hope you're ready to catch a beat down, Billboard-Brow."

"Please." Sakura scoffed, untying her hitai-ate to put it on her forehead correctly. "I'm gonna crush you, Ino-pig."

"Hmph!" Ino huffed, following her lead with her own head gear. "We'll see about that, Forehead-girl."

"Hajime!" Hayate declared, jumping back.

Sakura cracked her knuckles. "I'm about to show you I don't need you to blossom, Ino."

With that, Sakura ran forward, brandishing only her bare fists.

With a scoff, Ino took off to, preparing her own punch.

Both girls met in the center of the arena, fists crashing into each other's jaw.

Sakura stumbled back, and Ino _flew_ back.

Everyone gawked as the pinkette spit blood from her mouth, the result of a small cut at the corner of her bottom lip.

Ino looked up from her crumpled position on the floor, badly split, and rapidly bruising lip leaking blood down her chin. The ash blonde fingered her lip, and flinched as she agitated the stinging pain there.

Pale blue eyes widened. "H-how did you... _No_." Ino cut herself off and suddenly scowled, shoving to her feet. "How did a weakling like _you_ get strong so fast!?" She hissed, furiously wiping at her bloodied lip.

Sakura smirked.

"Working with a psychopath has a few ups to go along with all the downs."

"Awww, I'm flattered Forehead." Naruto gushed insincerely. She squeaked a moment later, batting away the dexterous hand that was pinching her left clothed nipple.

Sakura rolled her eyes, sliding in a combat pose, an altered Academy Style. Her punches were harder this way.

"Give up pig, or do you want _more_?" She taunted.

The Yamanaka flushed in rage as Sakura raised a superior pink brow, lips still quirked in an infuriating smirk.

"You think 'cause you cut your hair that you're better then me, don't you?" Ino snapped. "That your all _strong_ now. Well guess what? You just look like a man! A disgusting shapeless man!"

"Whatever." Sakura growled. "Your words can't move me anymore, _loser_."

Sasuke hid a proud smirk.

Ino sputtered incoherently in rage.

Sakura wove through hand seals at a practiced pace, calling out her new jutsu. "**Earth Style: Stone Pillars!**"

"_Oh_ yeah!" Naruto crowed, mask twisting along with her delighted grin.

Sakura found herself chuckling as a cylinder rose beneath Ino's feet, throwing her off balance. With a high pitched yelp, the ash blonde stumbled back, and collided with a second pillar. She screamed as her back hit the stone, and fell off the side, but _another_ one caused her to hit her head.

Ino finally fell, face first onto the floor.

Shikamaru grimaced deeply for his troublesome teammate. "Ouch..." He mumbled.

Many nodded in agreement.

Sakura frowned as Ino struggled to recover.

The pillars were meant to cage the user's opponent in, and keep moving closer from all sides until they were inevitably crushed to death. But Sakura didn't want Ino dead. She just wanted her to see.

She wanted her to see she didn't need to be protected anymore.

Sakura had her own strength.

The pinkette panted in exertion, wiping sweat from her brow with her forearm as her rival stumbled to her feet yet again.

"Damn you..." Ino gritted, spitting a mouthful of blood on the floor. "Damn you damn you damn you _damn_ you Sakura!"

Ino whipped out a kunai.

"You're weak!" She screeched, tearing a vengeful path towards her once best friend. "You're weak and everyone knows it!"

Ino made to stab Sakura, but the kunai was kicked out of her hand, and the ash blonde's jaw was nearly dislocated by the follow up uppercut.

When Ino fell on her back, she had angry tears in her eyes.

"You've just described yourself, Ino." Sakura murmured, staring down at her with pitying green eyes.

And Ino hated her for that.

Her tears fell.

With a scream of rage, Ino drew another kunai, and chopped her beloved long hair off until her ponytail was nothing but a spiky bush. She threw the silken strands at Sakura's feet.

"I won't miss!" She spat, rising to a crouch.

"No you idiot!" Shikamaru suddenly blurted, clutching at the balcony rail in panic.

The pinkette stepped forward, clenching her hands into fists.

"You're gonna forfeit, I _swear_ it!" Ino held her arms out in front of her, hands connected in a circular formation. "**Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu**!"

The ash blonde's chakra slithered down the scattered strands of her hair on the floor, stopping only when it reached Sakura's feet, which were stepping on the ends of Ino's hair.

Sakura's eyes widened as Ino slumped, her spirit invading her own.

The pinkette's head drooped forward, her bangs shielding her eyes.

There was a long pause.

And then, Sakura's hand rose, positioned in the classic surrender sign. Her lips were twisted in a smarmy smile. When she spoke, Ino's voice came from her mouth.

"I, Sakura Haruno the Billboard-Browed idiot, would like to forfe-"

"Wh-what the?!" Ino cut herself off again, and suddenly, Sakura's head shook back and forth, her hands coming up to clutch at the sides of her hair.

"Ino you pig!" Sakura yelled. "You better get out of me _right_ now unless your in big trouble!"

The pinkette's body stumbled around a bit more, both she and Ino fighting to gain control as they screamed in wordless frustration.

Sakura stumbled back as Ino's mind was finally forcibly shoved from her own.

Ino came to in her own body, and she sat up, jabbing a finger at her rival as she shook in alarm.

"You...! How on _earth_ can you have _two_ spirits!?" She exclaimed.

Sakura frowned. "As you know, I was bullied really badly when I was little. The trauma gave me another, more aggressive personality. And she doesn't like you, or me, or anyone. So _stay out_." She growled.

Ino recoiled as Sakura took a step towards her, running through more handseals. "**Earth Style: Titan's Fist.**" She dropped into a crouch, slapping her hand onto the ground, and the stone there slid up, encasing her hand all the way up to her elbow.

Sakura stood again with a clenched fist.

"Neither one of us is ready for a promotion, Ino." Sakura admitted, prowling to her rival as she feebly scrambled back on her ass in fear. "But _still._"

Sakura stopped as she was right over the quaking ash blonde.

"You better work damn hard to catch up to me."

With that, Sakura buried her stone fist in Ino's gut, causing her to choke on vomit and blood as she spit up. A crater formed under Ino, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she slumped.

"Wooohoooo~!" Naruto cheered. "Atta girl Forehead! You kicked Ino's boney ass!"

The pinkette grinned hugely as she turned to her team, tearing up as Sasuke gave her a nod of acknowledgement, and Kakashi eye smiled, proud.

"Winner by knockout: Sakura Haruno." Hayate called.

Sakura was grinning, even as she huffed and puffed, and she felt her vision swimming as the affects of chakra exhaustion took it's toll. Her grin shifted to a small smile that didn't fade, even when her knees gave out, and she followed Ino into unconsciousness.

The stone faded from her skin as she lied there, peaceful.

"Good job Haruno." Naruto murmured.

Med nins flashed into the arena, taking both girls to the hospital.

"Next match, Hinata Hyuga vs. Neji Hyuga."

Neji demolished the gentle blue haired girl, but she put up a damn good fight. He was escorted out for trying to kill her after Hayate had already called the match.

"Chiharu of Mist vs. Kiba Inuzuka."

The feral boy practically flew into the arena, and Chiharu slunk after him, only, she took the stairs.

"Hajime."

Chiharu sighed grimly as Kiba dove right in, swiping at her with his claws, only for him to part the cloud of mist her body evaporated into.

The green haired girl appeared behind him, drawing her katana fluidly before flipping it around, and slamming the butt into his back.

Kiba howled in pain, and whirled around, swiping at her again. She simply became mist again, but this time, she appeared at his left, Akamaru held in front of her as she threatened him with the edge of her blade.

"Give up or your dog is mince meat."

"Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed.

The little puppy only whined in apology.

"Give up." Chiharu deadpanned.

"As if! You're _dead_!" The Inuzuka spat. "**Fang over Fang**!"

Kiba's body began spinning rapidly, his form becoming a clash of grays and browns as he shot off, speeding right for the green haired teen.

With a depressed sigh, Chiharu dropped the puppy and punted him away.

Akamaru cried out as he soared, hitting the far wall with a _thump_, and fell to the floor where he lied there, still.

Chiharu didn't bother to dodge, instead, she darted at the hazardously rotating Inuzuka, her sword a silver gleam as she moved.

There was a tearing sound as they met, scraping by one another before they stood back to back in each other's old position.

Chiharu's grim expression split as the lower half of her face stretched into a shark toothed grin.

The green haired girl sheathed her sword, and as the base of her katana met it's sheath, Kiba's clothes fell from his body like confetti in pitiful shreds.

Chojuro sighed as his cousin began snickering darkly. She was never happy unless she had thoroughly, and utterly humiliated someone.

Kiba finally comprehended his state of undress, screaming in horror at his pitiful situation. He ran, (whilst covering his boy bits), over to his knocked out partner, and scooped him up.

"This isn't over you green haired bitch!"

Naked as the day he was born, and beet red, Kiba fled the arena.

"Um..." Hayate coughed, dispelling the awkward silence. "Winner by... Um... abandonment? Yeah, so... Chiharu of Mist."

The mint haired swordswoman was suspiciously gloomy faced again, and she bowed miserably to Hayate in practised politeness.

No one said a word as she returned to the bleachers. Mostly, Karin was trying to hold Naruto up as she roared with laughter.

When she finally calmed down, Hayate called the next match. "Kankuro Sabaku vs. Akado."

The sand nin won, as Akado was trying to suck the chakra from his genjutsu wearing puppet full of poisons and pointy things.

"Winner by knockout, Kankuro Sabaku."

"Here's the antidote." The paint wearing boy smirked, tossing a vile full of green sludge to an irritated med nin.

The poisoned Akado was carted out on a stretcher, foaming at the mouth.

"Karin Uzumaki vs. Chojuro of Mist."

The red haired Uzumaki looked up at the sound of her name, grumbling in irritation that Hayate had interrupted her in the middle of copping a feel of Naruto's boobs.

She hopped over the railing, right hand near her senbon pouch.

Karin was surprisingly well versed in poisons, and her taijutsu wasn't shabby either. She seemed particularly fond of explosive tags, but, unfortunately, it would seem despite his lack of confidence, the blue haired boy was more then capable of wielding the Mist's _twinsword_.

"**Hiramekarei Release: Hammer form.**" Chojuro whispered.

His fish shaped blade was coated in glowing blue chakra, and it shifted into a gigantic hammer, tearing through the bandages wrapped around it.

"Forgive me." Chojuro mumbled, swinging the giant weapon grandly.

Crimson eyes wide, Karin dropped into a crouch, her hair blow askew from the sure force and speed of the Mist Genin's weapon. Seeing that she ducked, Chojuro brought his weapon back around. He lifted the hammer above his head, as if to crush the bespectacled Uzumaki.

Forcing too much chakra into her feet, Karin was rocketed into the air, and she soared over Chojuro, landing behind him. The blue haired nin's hammer splintered the arena floor, dust clouds rising into the air.

Chojuro swung around, stopping his hammer half an _inch_ away from knocking Karin's head from her shoulders, once more violently blowing her hair about.

Her back was turned to him, and her hands were held up by her ears in classic relinquish, her face scowling irritably.

"Tch!" Karin tutted. "Guess I'm not ready yet. I surrender."

Naruto smiled.

_'Well Kurama. I bet from this point on, the fights won't be very interesting.'_

**'For once, I think you're right.'**

"Winner by forfeit: Chojuro of Mist."

* * *

The preliminaries ended with the anticlimactic fight between Shikamaru and Tsuchi Kin. Needless to say, the genius Nara outsmarted her.

Minato instructed the remaining contestants to prepare for the final round of the Chunin Exams in one month.

Karin, learned that her teammates ditched her and headed home. They left her a note in their team's hotel room, assuming that she would advance to the next stage.

Having no funding to live, she crashed at Naruto's, presumably to wait until a retrieval team arrived for her. She spent most of her time collecting herbs that grew exclusively in Konoha, and concocting poisons, or, sexually harassing Naruto and trying to seduce her.

Konohamaru was _still_ having a field day with the fact that _Naruto_ had a _fangirl_.

On the fifth day of her break, Naruto met a wandering Toad Sage. She was intrigued by his living hair technique, and decided, it would be useful.

With a grin, Naruto knew she could manage to make that technique creepy.

* * *

**I was being lazy. Could you tell? **

**'Til next time.**


	24. Carnage Filled Filler

**My first day of Senior Year happened on August 17th. It wasn't magical, I'll tell you guys that. -_- **

**Oh and... Sorry for the massive wait. **

**WARNINGS: Foul language, sexual (yuri) themes, blood, gore, and one of my most favorite things in the world... Zombies.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**Enjoy the carnage.**

* * *

Naruto drifted over Konoha's rooftops, a plastic bag full of new art supplies slung over her right shoulder, a lit cigarette between her lips, and her throat humming a grim little tune.

It was a little past six in the evening, and the sun was stretching the last of its lazy autumn rays before falling to slumber. Naruto enjoyed the orange glow across the village, and the spicey smell of fallen leaves. In the forests surrounding Konoha, the seasons had no effect, as they were created by the Shodaime. But some of the trees lining the streets of the village were normally planted, and they underwent the shifts of the seasons.

Naruto plucked out her cigarette, stubbed it out, and sent it over the edge of the rooftop she was on, right into the dumpsters of the alleyway below.

She lifted her mask back over her nose as she drifted past a bloody scene, only stopping when a wall of sand halted her movement.

"What's this?" Naruto drawled, spinning around mid-air to face the one who's murder she'd stumbled upon. "The little tanuki wants to play with me?"

Naruto smiled at Gaara's stoic visage, before glancing down at the twisted fleshy mass of entrails that remained of Dosu. "That was rather cruel don't you think?" Naruto asked.

Gaara simply crossed his arms. "He tested the power of my existence, and fell to it."

"Who cares what anyone else thinks as long as you know you exist?" Naruto said, mirroring the seafoam eyed teen's stance.

"The only way I can exist, is if I destroy the existence of others." Gaara stated.

The redhead cocked her head to the side. '_This guy's crazier then me.'_

**'That's possible?'** Kurama snarked.

_'I thought you knew everything you stupid Fox!'_

**'That is not what I said. I said I'm always right.'**

_'Gah! Would you just fuck off already!?'_

With poorly suppressed snickers, Kurama retreated into Naruto's subconscious.

"To prove you exist, means you have to kill others? I don't follow." She said.

Gaara didn't bother answering.

The wall of sand that was now at Naruto's back, stretched, forming two large clawed hands webbed with pulsing blue veins. The redhead didn't resist as they took hold of her torso, pinning her arms to her sides, and dragged her over to her fellow jinchuuriki.

Naruto didn't show how taken aback she was when Gaara brought her so close their noses nearly brushed. The redhead had taken Gaara for a person who allowed no one to breach his personal bubble. But here he was, _bringing_ Naruto_ into it_.

Gaara stared into Naruto as if analyzing her soul.

"Your eyes... are just like mine." Gaara stated, unblinking.

Naruto too, refused to blink. "Yes, we are very similar." She agreed.

"The time will come, when mother tastes your blood, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto smiled, and lifted her hand, right through Gaara's ultimate defense, and poked him in the forehead softly, ignoring the almost unnoticeable widening of his lonely _lonely_ eyes.

"We'll see if your mother is a match for my Fox, little tanuki." She teased.

With that, Naruto was swept away by whispering winds.

Gaara, began to panic, because there was a silence in his head, that had not been there before.

* * *

**One Day Later**

* * *

Naruto stood on a ladder in The Gallows, right arm languidly sweeping up and down with the skilled strokes of her hand and paintbrush.

She had finally gotten around to painting up a mural telling the story of Harime's physical creation. It was a dark array of colors, and streaks of red from the many sprays of blood that day involved.

The painting was on the ceiling, nearly finished with the help of a dozen blood clones.

Karin was off to the side, nearly salivating over a lab table with a decaying blood clone tied onto its surface. The blood clone's chest cavity was split open, ribcage and innards bared to the world. Karin Uzumaki was looming over the clone, bloody scalpel between her fingers.

The bespectacled Uzumaki was fascinated by Naruto's blood clones, and had spent the past twelve hours dissecting them and avoiding dispelling them with fatal injury.

The blood clone she was currently observing, was one created with rotten blood Naruto had sealed in a scroll labeled, 'Rotten Blood For Future Pranks'.

The redhead had figured, allowing Karin to fool around with her clones while she worked would do no harm. The Uzumaki bloodlimit was incapable of being recreated. You either had blood release, or you didn't. And Karin didn't. But curiously, she could perform chakra chains. Not even Naruto was skilled at that. She could do a few, but never at the level she had been told her mother had mastered them. Karin was even more skilled than Naruto in that.

The glasses wearing Uzumaki was also a blooming medical specialist/sensory nin. She was pretty much good at everything Naruto wasn't. Naruto could sense chakra, yes, but she couldn't sense as far as Karin could. Though, she could read emotions that affected chakra, primarily negative ones. This was courtesy of Kurama, the Bijuu being saturated in hatred and all.

Setting all of that aside, there was one thing both Uzumaki enjoyed, and were scarily good at. And that thing was playing around with Naruto's Blood Release.

"Amazing..." Karin muttered. "It's remarkable how a blood clone forms..."

The redheaded artist rolled her eyes as Karin began lightly raving to herself.

"To create flesh, the natural energy in the air is absorbed by Naruto's blood, and a body forms, mimicking an actual human immune system and skeletal structure... if you use rotten blood, the same process happens, only, the clone forms as an actual corpse."

Naruto shook her head, ignoring Karin's nerdy babble. She had already known her blood clones' were a mixture of her own chakra and nature chakra.

By forming a body of blood, the nature energy in the air around the clone was sucked into it, creating a false human body complete with an immune system, a brain, a skeleton, and even the redhead's natural appearance. Naruto's blood took two weeks to completely decay, dispelling her clone and releasing the borrowed natural energy back into the environment. But during that two week process, the clone underwent a mimic of a human corpse's natural state of decomposition.

The redhead's chakra is what supplied her blood clones' personality, as charka is simply the physical manifestation of one's soul and spirit.

"Naru-chan?" Karin called, pushing her blood spattered safety goggles up onto her forehead.

"Nani?" Naruto glanced over her shoulder, pausing as she finished up the last touches of her mural; an image of Harime flailing around in the cauldron she'd been birthed in.

The redhead was wearing a casual white surgeon's mask, a sleeveless mesh shirt, and a pair of black spandex short shorts. Her hands, arms, torso, and thighs had smears of paint on them, and her feet bore a pair of plain flip flops.

Karin was looking at her, and Naruto fought a fierce blush as a peculiar bruise on the side of her fellow Uzumaki's neck caught the light.

Actually... there were a _few_ of those "bruises", all over Karin's neck and down her torso, hidden under her mesh shirt and white lab coat.

Let's just say... Naruto had helped Karin _experiment_ with a few things before she began painting...

**'Pfft. Experimenting?'** Kurama snarked. **'Is _that_ what you're calling it? With the things you two freaks were doing, I actually find myself troubled that you're only twelve.'**

'_Karin is almost fourteen, and I'm turning thirteen this month, so there!'_

**'As if that makes any difference.'** The Fox scoffed.

_'Oh shut up Furball, who asked you anyways?'_ The redhead sneered. _'I was curious and Karin can be ah, um... very... persuasive.'_

Kurama snorted.

**'You loved it.' **He stated.

_'Fuck off.'_

"Naruto-chan?"

Blue-green eyes blinked when she realized she had completely missed what Karin had asked, and said bespectacled Uzumaki was waiting for her response.

"I'm sorry, what?" Naruto stuttered, distracting herself from her flaming flush by climbing down her latter.

"I said, what do you think would happen if I tried to heal your decaying blood clone?" Karin repeated, looking curious.

"Hm, dunno." Naruto muttered, walking over to join Karin before the occupied lab table. "I'm not proficient in medical jutsu. I assume you'd overload it with chakra and force it to dispel."

"Hm." Karin hummed, bottom lip jutting out in a thoughtful pout. Soon, she focused again on Naruto. "But... if your clone is "dying", that means it's releasing natural chakra slowly back into the air, right?"

"Mhm." Naruto confirmed, wondering where Karin was taking the conversation.

Crimson eyes suddenly sparkled.

And just then... as Naruto watched Karin in her bloodied lab coat, wearing equally splattered black shorts, and goggles, her scalpel in hand, the redhead thought her fellow Uzumaki looked every bit of a mad scientist.

It would never cease to amuse her when she found someone to be wacky, even if they weren't as screwed in the head as she was.

"And if it's releasing chakra, that means it will eventually be low on chakra until it inevitably exspells, right?" Karin continued before Naruto could respond. "And when you use rotten blood, your clone is essentially a corpse, and it will dispel more easily, meaning it doesn't have the capacity to hold chakra for long periods of time, as a fresh blood clone would, for two weeks. So basically, me inserting chakra in a clone constantly losing chakra, would not dispel it, it would actually prolong the corpse's lifespan, in theory." She tacked on those last two words.

"In theory." Naruto agreed, amused.

"You wouldn't mind if I tried it, would you?" Karin asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Knock yourself out."

With a smile rivaling Naruto's own signature wicked grin, Karin placed her scalpel on the lab table, beside the lazily struggling blood clone still strapped there. The bespectacled Uzumaki pulled off her red stained latex gloves, and tossed them into the waist basket Naruto quickly unsealed from a scroll and kicked over to her.

"Y'know," Karin drawled humorously, "With all the stuff you've got hoarded in scrolls here, I think this should be called your 'Toy Box', and that thing you summoned with the lynched dolls should be 'The Gallows'."

Naruto shrugged again. "Maybe." She replied easily.

Karin smiled, channeling chakra into both of her hands, and making them illuminate soft green light. "Naruto-chan, do me a favor and close the clone's chest cavity please?"

"Hai." Naruto replied, nonchalantly slapping the flaps of bisected skin closed, hiding the wheezing clone's, sickly pink intestines, contracting air-bags, and sluggishly beating heart.

Karin's glowing hands hovered over the dissected clone, before the green healing factor of her chakra seeped into the clone's flesh. Slowly, the pale flesh of Naruto's blood clone knitted closed, forming a raised line of pink scar tissue.

Karin's forehead became slicked in a dew of perspiration, and her crimson brows furrowed in concentration. "Adding more chakra." She informed.

"Sure." Naruto shrugged, watching her clone's blue-green eyes fog over in a daze.

And then...

Naruto bugged out. "Holy Habanero-!"

The clone's eyes suddenly flew open, and she arched off the lab table, a mint green pigment creeping over her pale complexion. Her mouth fell open, and she gurgled, dark green sludge pouring in globules from her lips.

With a startled gasp, Karin stumbled back, gawking at the light green clone writhing on the lab table, shrieking like an angry banshee. Naruto stared with wide eyes, watching her blood clone snap its jaws, furiously trying to rip chunks from Karin's flesh.

Slowly, both Uzumaki turned to meet eyes.

"Hey Karin," Naruto drawled.

"Yes Naruto-chan?" She drawled back.

"I think I just figured out better summons for my Corpse Party Jutsu."

One grin was hidden, and the other was in plain sight.

* * *

**Four Hours Later**

* * *

Shisui let himself into Naruto's bedroom window, making his way through the dark room and out into Naruto's candlelit hallways. When he reached her living room, he simply froze.

"What. The. Hell."

At the sound of his voice, many necks snapped in his direction, identical glazed eyes staring blankly, as if not seeing him at all.

"Oh? Hey there 'Sui-kun." Naruto, who was sticking to the ceiling, away from the sluggishly reaching hands of the dozens of light green copies of _her_ all over the place, grinned at her partner with her eyes.

The eccentric Uchiha merely deadpanned as the shambling Narutos looked at him curiously.

There was a moment of utter stillness, before they lunged.

The Uchiha simply shunshined, appearing once more with his feet planted on Naruto's ceiling, right beside her.

Confused, the green Narutos began wandering aimlessly again, and shambling brainlessly about.

"Is this another one of your psychotic experiments with Blood Release?" Shisui asked, nose wrinkling in distaste as one of the green redheads bit into another's right shoulder, chomping right down to the bone. Rivers of blood and curious green slime seeped out of the wound.

"You could say that." Naruto answered, tone smiling.

Smelling blood, all the green redheads followed its source.

Shisui looked away when the wounded Naruto gave an inhuman wail, and was devoured by her sisters. He ignored the sound of smacking lips, slurped marrow, and crunching bones.

"Do I _want_ to know?" Shisui finally sighed, focusing on his partner as her bright eyes twinkled in morbid glee.

"Karin discovered how to turn my blood clones into zombies." Naruto said, largely pleased.

Shisui's brows rose. "Aren't they already zombies when they reach a certain age?"

"Yeah, sort of." Naruto admitted. "But, she's figured out a way to make them last longer then two weeks without sealing them away in pocket dimensions."

"Wow." Shisui offered, because he honestly didn't know how to respond.

"Wanna see what she's up to?"

"She?" The Uchiha parroted.

"Karin." Naruto supplied, already walking across her living room ceiling to lead Shisui to The Gallows.

"Who?"

"Shisui, we both know you were watching the preliminaries." Naruto deadpanned, drifting down from the ceiling and unlocking the seals of her Gallows Door.

Shisui shrugged. "The Uzumaki." He offered, admitting in a roundabout way, that he had been observing the preliminaries. Though, he'd been a guard, so he wasn't really supposed to talk about it, but whatever.

The Uchiha wasn't sure how he felt about Naruto having a fangirl, especially one with no qualms against sexually harassing said redhead. But, as long as Karin had no ill intent towards Naruto, no hidden agenda, he could live with it. He found it strange how easily Naruto accepted Karin, as she usually held strangers at length, but Shisui supposed it had something to do with their shared lineage. As far as both he and Naruto knew, the Fourth was the only living family Naruto had, so suddenly encountering another Uzumaki probably threw her for a loop, even if she appeared nonchalant.

Naruto just wanted someone she could be close to. Shisui could understand that. It was about time she didn't feel so alone. So alone that she felt the need to tear her soul in two. Shisui just hoped Karin had whatever Naruto was looking for, even if Naruto didn't know she was searching herself.

The redhead let the raven into The Gallows, and sealed the door up behind them.

The goggled teen that was pumping medical chakra into a long haired clone on a lab table, didn't even look up from her work.

"Karin, this is Shisui, an old friend. Shisui, this is Karin, a new friend." Naruto drawled.

"Hello." Shisui offered, acting as if he wasn't memorizing Karin's every detail. He could definitely see a faint resemblance.

"Yeah, hey." Karin mumbled.

Shisui was almost taken aback. Karin acted almost exactly the same as Naruto when the redhead was experimenting with Blood Release. Totally inattentive to everything but her task at hand.

Shaking his head, the raven decided to check out Karin's project, and stared. Shisui nearly found himself unable to pull his eyes away from the writhing clone restrained on Karin's borrowed lab table. "Is that...?"

"Yup." Naruto grinned largely. "That's Jorogumo."

Karin finally looked up, stepped away from the lab table with a sigh, and pushed her bloody goggles onto her sweat slicked forehead. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong Naruto-chan. No matter how much chakra I put in, Jorogumo won't turn green."

"I've got a theory, wanna hear it?" Naruto asked, lifting off of the ground, and dipping over to hang upside down.

"Yeah, I do." Karin said.

"Cool." Naruto smiled, before sobering slightly. "My guess is, a certain stage of my clones' decomposition allows them acceptance to healing chakra."

Karin crossed her arms in curiosity, nodding agreeingly to that inquiry.

"Brain dead clones are more accepting, because they have more room for chakra, as they are very close to dispelling." Naruto continued. "Jorogumo here, is brain dead, yes, but she obtains chakra at the same time as she obtains brain cells. She needs cells, because when a blood clone decays, the cells that make up their brain shut down, and devour each other. The only command the remaining cells she has, tell her to feed. Jorogumo's feeding, is the process of consuming shinobi, or just human corpses in general."

Fascinated, Karin pulled out a notepad, and furiously began jotting down notes. Shisui resisted the urge to snort.

_'I guess all Uzumaki are crazy.'_ He thought wryly.

"Regular human corpses, like bandits, suffice, because even if you're dead, your body still has remnants of chakra in it. I always seal Jorogumo away after summoning her, so she has no real time to release the chakra she absorbs."

Naruto frowned slightly. "Actually, it's a wonder she hasn't overloaded yet. Guess I'll have to look into that..." She trailed off.

Blinking, she looked back at Karin, and grinned. "Basically, even if Jorogumo is brain dead, she is already full of chakra, therefore, she doesn't accept healing chakra."

"So _that's_ why your zombie clones out there tried to make a snack out of me?" Shisui asked, drawing attention to himself. "They're brain dead, and need the cells in my blood to function? But, my chakra, could help them live longer?"

"Yeah." Naruto said.

"But if that's true, you could just give them your chakra to last longer, Naruto. They wouldn't need healing chakra." Karin spoke up.

Naruto shrugged.

"If you look at it that way, you're right, but Jorogumo has all of that chakra from eating people. Literally. She absorbed their chakra by devouring them."

"Huh, if you just pump your clones full of healing chakra, no one will die." Shisui concluded.

Naruto smiled. "Well, at least until I set my army on enemy nin. Plus, I look wicked in green, don't you think?"

Karin snickered, while Shisui tried not to roll his eyes.

"I wonder though, why do they turn green when absorbing healing chakra?" Naruto murmured.

"Now I've got a theory for you, Naruto-chan." Karin said, crimson eyes twinkling.

"Lets hear it, ne?" Naruto asked, righting herself once more in the air.

"Well," Karin tucked away her notepad, before continuing. "Your clones are very sluggish while in a certain stage of decay, right?"

"Yup." The redhead nodded.

"And when they're full of healing chakra, they suddenly become berserk, right?"

"Yup."

Karin smiled. "It's just like when a chakra exhausted shinobi takes a soldier pill. They feel a rush of energy. Because brain dead clones only have the intention to feed, giving them healing chakra only boots their systems. It only makes it easier for them to go about their intentions, which is to feed. They are not sluggish intentionally, I am sure they really want to devour every living person in sight, it's just that their bodies deem them incapable of that."

"And you guys have just made it so those zombies can actually get what they want." Shisui deadpanned. "To feed."

Both Uzumaki shrugged carelessly, before Karin continued her explanation.

"My guess is, the lack of natural chakra in decaying clones that allows them to appear identical to you, Naruto, is what makes them so pale. And when you have healing chakra, which is naturally green, substituting for natural energy, it turns the clones' skin green."

"That's cool." Naruto mumbled. "But I've lost interest already."

"What!?" Karin sqwaked, indignant. "T-this is _fascinating_!"

"Meh." Naruto dismissed with a flippant shrug. "That's all fine and dandy Karin, but now I'm going to have a bit of fun with Jorogumo-chan. I think I've finally found a way to bring her brain back from the dead."

Naruto looked between Shisui and Karin, blue-green eyes lit with sinister amusement.

"I learned a new jutsu from an old perv a while back. And I think it'll suit Jorogumo beautifully..."

Shisui's eyes lit with recognition. "Naruto... You can't be serious...!" He exclaimed.

His partner simply inclined her head, confirming that, despite her apparent amusement, she was quite serious.

"She'll be like all my other blood clones, just less sarcastic, and she won't have seals in her brain making her emotionless, like Ichi and Ni. Jorogumo will be greater then any of the clones I've ever created." Naruto's eyes suddenly wrinkled in that way of hers. That macabre way of hers that foretold she'd be dabbling in darkness.

Shisui sighed soundlessly, knowing he would not be able to talk her out of doing something that would more than likely be traumatizing innocents for years to come.

When Naruto giggled behind her hand, Shisui saw Harime in her. He knew Harime. He had worked with her for _years_. And he didn't know if he should be afraid, that Naruto's other half's qualities were growing more and more prominent with each day.

"And I know the perfect role for her, because It just so happens, I need someone to command my undead army."

* * *

Once alone, Naruto smiled.

"Harime-chaaaan~" The redhead sang.

Her shadow slid between her feet, and rose up between she and her lab table.

Harime's glowing red eyes arched into slits as she grinned with razor teeth. "You called~?" She giggled.

"After I figure this zombie stuff out, and get rid of our guests, let's work on Stage Two: Reaper Mode." Naruto suggested.

Harime's large grin stretched even farther. "That's the Head Hunter one, right?"

"Mhmm." Naruto hummed, watching her other half's left hand morph into a large clean blade, likened to a giant scalpel.

"Hey Gumo-chan, long time no see~" Harime giggled, gliding over to the restrained blood clone, and positioning her bladed hand at the very top of Jorogumo's skull.

The clone hadn't changed. Her right eye was still a gory hole in her face, rimmed with old soggy scabs and crustated blood, the left a devil red with a poisoned black sclera. Around her jaw, the skin was rotted away, her flesh a deep saturated red, and bared teeth a gleaming unhealthy yellow.

"So how do you want this Naru-chan?" Harime asked cheerfully. "Is it butcher time or arts and crafts?"

"Pfft." Naruto snickered. "Don't worry Harime-chan. There'll be plenty of rats and snakes to chop up later. So for now, let's make art, hmm~?"

Harime pouted, dropping her bladed arm with a smooth chopping motion. "Awww, you're no fun~"

Naruto simply smiled, even as her face was speckled with blood.

* * *

Karin grumbled as she helped Shisui seal Naruto's wayward zombie clones into scrolls. The red head had said, she would later take the scrolls out, and seal her zombies away throughout the village. Karin couldn't fathom why Naruto would do that, with all the civilians wandering about, but she wasn't about to question Naruto. She could tell Naruto wasn't the type of person who did things for nothing, even if she seemed to be acting at random.

Karin didn't know how she felt about Shisui. He and Naruto seemed close, and she knew they were. According to the bingo book, they had been partners in Konoha's Black Ops for years.

Shisui probably knew everything about Naruto. And that bothered her, because that's what _she_ wanted.

Karin liked Naruto. She had quickly grown attached to the other redhead, and it wasn't just because Karin found the other girl physically attractive. She was the first Uzumaki the Grass nin had seen since the untimely death of her parents. Naruto had smiled at her, trusted her so easily, and shown her her beautiful whiskered face when Karin had asked her to. The Grass nin doubted Naruto just went around pulling down her mask for anyone who asked her to. And that had touched Karin. Not to mention, Naruto held a frightening strength. Karin already found herself admiring Naruto for that strength.

The bespectacled Uzumaki had at first, idolized Naruto for being a strong female Uzumaki that had made it in the bingo book. But then, she met Naruto, and simply fell so hard she couldn't even behave properly. Naruto's chakra was... _intoxicating_. It was dark, and warm, and lonely all at the same time. It was dangerous, and strong, and all Naruto. It scared Karin at the same time that it drew her in.

Karin wanted to unravel Naruto.

Naruto was an enigma, she was secretes, and darkness, and sunshine all at once. She was someone Karin wouldn't mind spending the rest of her numbered days with. Naruto, was a leader that Karin would follow. Her fellow Uzumaki just had this _way_ about her, even if she was crazy. That unstable song her chakra sang, simply added to Naruto's overall charm in Karin's eyes.

Maybe it was pathetic, and questionable, that Naruto could have swayed Karin to follow her to the ends of the earth in such a short amount of time, (without even trying), but Karin didn't care.

She'd never had a purpose in Grass. But now, in Leaf, Naruto would be Karin's purpose. Naruto was Karin's world.

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

Karin started, and looked up at Shisui, who was staring her down with stone cold seriousness.

Crimson brows furrowed. "What?"

"Maybe you really do want to be Naruto's friend," Shisui said, crossing his arms. "But if you hurt that kid, I will kill you."

Karin ignored the cold shiver she felt slide down the knobs of her spine, and instead, snatched up the spark of anger she felt at Shisui's threat. Ignoring the threat she had received from an _S Class ANBU level nin_, Karin stepped up to Shisui, glossy lips peeling back in a sneer.

"Don't threaten me you _flunky_." She spat. "Who do you think you are?"

"Shisui Uchiha." The teen said, face still carved from stone. "I think I'm the Uchiha who just warned you to watch your back if you plan to hurt Naruto. Because I won't tolerate anyone screwing around with her feelings."

"You _moron_." Karin snarled, crossing her arms in irritation. "Do you honestly think I'd betray the only person I have now that's family?"

When obsidian eyes only blinked at her stoically, Karin felt her ugly temper swell even higher. And then... She smirked. Her lips slowly curled into a smarmy smirk.

"Oh? I get it..." She drawled. "You're jealous, aren't you, Uchiha?"

Karin stepped back, and stretched exaggeratedly. She resisted the urge to laugh as Shisui's eyes bugged out, latching on to the "bruises" staining down the side of her neck, and disappearing beneath her shirt.

He began sputtering.

"Too bad Uchiha." Karin taunted. "Looks like you kept Naruto waiting too long."

"Wh-what are you insinuating?" Shisui spluttered.

Karin shrugged, sliding her hands into her lab coat pockets. "Take that how you will."

Shisui flushed. "Why you-"

"Guys!"

Both of the teens turned to face Naruto, who was tearing out of The Gallows with impressive speed. What she pulled along with her, had them both gawking.

Jorogumo stared at them, the top of her head completely gone, baring her pink-gray brain to the world. The labyrinth of flesh seeped streams of red down the sides of her temples, and rotted away jawline.

"She... she's not... attacking us." Karin finally croaked.

Naruto grinned. "It gets better. Look."

The redhead bit her hand, and squeezed the wound over Jorogumo's brain. The ruby droplets were absorbed, and the decayed clone's single black and red eye focused.

Jorogumo looked at Naruto, and tilted her head, nearly spilling her own brains. Karin held back the urge to gag, and took pleasure in the strangled noise Shisui released.

"It's a good thing I came up with this so soon." Naruto chirped, placing the top of Jorogumo's skull back atop her head. "After all, the final round of the Chunin Exams are tomorrow."

* * *

**Yeah, this was just a filler. Sorry to disappoint. The next chapter will be out soon though, probably on Tuesday. **

**Does anyone still even read this?**


	25. Happy Death Day

**Lokitazz0, you really are dedicated, and I want you to know, that I love you for it.**

**The rest of you guys are too awesome for me. Thanks for the reviews peeps.**

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image. Don't own the quote from the Spider and the Fly either.**

**WARNINGS: Foul language, blood, gore, violence, and dark themes.**

**Enjoy you sick freaks.**

* * *

Naruto was garbed in a high collared, long sleeved (and legged), form fitting, black lace body suit. A silver zipper trailed from beneath her chin to just above her hidden navel. Atop the suit, she wore her sleeveless ragdoll cloak with screaming red skulls around the hem, and her feet bore red zipper shinobi sandals. Around her right arm, were her black beads, with swirls of crimson, and a beige pouch was buckled around her hips. As a last touch, she slipped two silver ruby eyed skull rings on each of her hands' fingers.

The redhead had taken a shower after a long night into the late morning of bloody work, smirking at Karin, who was sprawled across her bed, mouth slightly open, with drool lightly dribbling down the corner, and purring out little snores.

Bare faced, mask around her neck, Naruto stepped out of her bedroom with a shake of her head, and made her way to her kitchen for a light breakfast of instant cup ramen. The redhead was unsurprised to find Konohamaru sitting at her kitchen table, already snacking on some late morning ramen.

"Yo squirt." Naruto muttered, running a hand through his spikes as she shambled by.

"Hey Naru," The boy greeted, eyeing her bodysuit. "What's up with that getup? You look like a dominatrix."

Naruto snorted, flicking on the sink and filling up her battered silver kettle. "Can you even _spell_ dominatrix?"

"No, but you look like one." He retorted.

"I'm only thirteen. The suit is just badass kid." Naruto deadpanned. "Deal with it."

The suit was one of the things Naruto had purchased for Harime, that the cyclops had never gotten to wear.

Konohamaru's dark eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! Happy birthday Naruto!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, happy birthday." Karin mumbled, stumbling barefoot from the hallway leading to the bedrooms, wearing one of Naruto's white T shirts and a pair of spandex short shorts. Konohamaru snorted at her appearance. The little boy had met Karin the first day Naruto had brought her home a month ago, and was pretty used to her already.

Karin's face was free of her usual sharp spectacles, and her crimson hair was wild from a good night sleep. "Sup brat." Karin jabbed.

"Mornin' hag!" The "brat" chirped back.

Naruto chuckled as her fellow Uzumaki burned red in rage. "Why _you_-"

"Thanks for the good wishes Karin." The redhead said, for once, not feeling emotionless to the subject of her birthday. The other Uzumaki simply waved away her thanks, and entered the room fully, standing before the kitchen table.

"You never came to bed, Naruto?" Karin tried not to pout, as she had waited in Naruto's bed until two in the morning, before falling asleep.

"Yeah..." Naruto drawled, picking up the screaming kettle, and peeling back the tops to two cupped ramen. "About that. I don't... sleep."

Naruto glanced at Karin as she poured boiling water into the ramen cups. "The only time I do is after I collapse from sleep deprivation, chakra exhaustion, or someone I know managed to knock me out."

Karin looked at Konohamaru skeptically, and began sputtering when he only nodded to the truth of Naruto's words.

The usually bespectacled Uzumaki thought back for a second, and realized, during the entire month she had known Naruto, not once had she actually seen her asleep.

Amused, the redhead watched it dawn on Karin.

And then she burst.

"What!? That's_ crazy!_" Karin yelped. "How are you even still _alive_?"

"Uzumaki lineage?" Naruto offered.

Karin crossed her arms and scoffed. "Yeah, no. Try again."

Naruto shrugged, placing her kettle back on the stove before turning the burner off.

"It was worth a shot." She mumbled.

Naruto slid into the seat beside Konohamaru, placing her cup of ramen before her, and the other across from her, before the last remaining seat.

"Does it really matter how I live?" Naruto asked, picking up one of the plastic forks Konohamaru had left set out for she and Karin. "Shouldn't it just be cool that I live at all?"

"Well yeah," Karin admitted, sliding into the seat before her own ramen, with a quiet thanks. "But I wanna know _how_! It's for science."

"You saying you wanna cut me open?" Naruto asked, lips pulling into a smirk as Konohamaru sent her a disgusted look.

"You know what? Fine. Keep your genetic anomalies to yourself then, stingy." Karin grumbled, diving into her breakfast in a manner that made Naruto proud.

After a moment of enjoying her beef ramen, the redhead pulled three tags out of her beige pouch, and slid them across the surface of the table to Konohamaru.

Two were white with bloody sealing insignias wrapped around their respective kanji. The first read ichi and ni. The second was a storage seal, and the last tag was pitch black, with kanji starkly reading 'rag doll' in blood across its face.

"Wha's 'is 'or?" The brunette questioned, noodles hanging from his mouth.

Naruto snorted, finishing her ramen, and pulled a peppermint from her pouch to crunch on. "Sealing tags kid." The teen clarified. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten the last stage of the Chunin Exams are today. They're just precautionary measures I've taken since I'll be out. Just activate them with chakra if you get in a serious pinch for some reason, okay?"

Naruto felt both Karin and Konohamaru analyzing her as she stood up to toss away her empty ramen cup.

"Is something gonna happen today, Sis?" The young Sarutobi asked, cautious.

"Don't ask questions kid." Naruto said. "Just do what I'm telling you, okay?"

When Naruto turned around, she had her old black face mask on, with a silver zipper likened to a large smile, and big safety pins across its length like teeth. Her eyes were hidden by her lids, arched into happy crescents.

"Now, the last tag, the black one, is only when there's no hope, got it?" Naruto chirped.

Konohamaru observed Naruto for a moment longer, before taking the three sealing tags written on in what was obviously Naruto's blood. He slipped them into his shuriken pouch, and nodded. "Yeah, okay sure, Naruto."

Naruto ruffled his hair. "Good job squirt."

Naruto left the room, ignoring Karin, who followed her into The Gallows.

"You know something, don't you, Naruto." Her fellow Uzumaki said, frowning slightly. "Is that why you were out until thirty minutes ago? You were preparing?"

"Maa," Naruto drawled. "So perceptive. But yeah, something's going down. And I was out, decaying a massive amount of blood at an accelerated rate, so I could add more numbers to my zombies."

Karin quickly masked the flash of fear in her bright eyes. "Why would you need so many numbers, Naruto? God... there's not gonna be some kind of attack happening, is there?" She asked, nervous.

"So perceptive." Naruto repeated, giggling darkly.

The redhead knew. It had only been a short time since they had met, but Karin recognized the dark look in Naruto's eyes. The one she got when she was fighting, and having fun. Or when she was about to fight and knew she was _going_ to have fun.

Naruto blinked when Karin pulled her mask down, and dragged her down to press her bare whiskered face against the jumping pulse at her "bruised" neck.

"I didn't even know it was possible for you to rot a lot of blood at an accelerated rate." Karin mumbled.

Naruto shrugged, the movement awkward with her face still pressed against Karin's throat. "I know you sense the dark chakra locked up inside me."

Naruto took Karin's shiver as confirmation.

"It's very corrosive. And blood is delicate. With that chakra, I could rot away pretty much anything."

"It's... powerful chakra." Karin said, cautious.

"Hm, yeah. Useful, but risky." Naruto agreed.

"You must be tired Naruto, even if you're good at hiding it."

The redhead tried to look at her, but Karin held her tighter, running her hands through the fine hairs at Naruto's nape. "Take some of my chakra, Naru-chan. It'll replenish your chakra levels. And whenever this attack happens, we'll both be ready."

Naruto smiled against Karin's skin. "You're the best henchman with benefits ever."

Karin laughed, and almost didn't notice as Naruto bit into her skin.

* * *

Naruto had left Karin to shower and get dressed as she made her way to the stadium, for her match in the final stage of the Chunin Exams. She drifted over the rooftops, mask unzipped, smoking a cig, and rolled her eyes as someone caught her foot, and coaxed her down.

"Hey Shisui." Naruto muttered, not protesting as he plucked the deathstick from her lips and crushed it in his fist, throwing it into a dumpster in the alley below them.

"If you hold me up, I'll be late dude."

When Shisui looked at her seriously, Naruto frowned slightly, and deactivated her flying seals, her sandals touching the roof with a soft _clack_.

Naruto looked up at her partner. "What's up?" She asked. "You're not worried about the rat infestation are you? Don't worry, the head exterminator called in his best men."

Shisui knew her well and long enough to recognize what she was actually saying. _Are you worried about the invasion? You don't need to be, because the Yondaime informed his ranks from ANBU to Chunin to be prepared for war._

"No, I'm prepared. I just don't want you to get bitten, so you should just make sure any of the little kids in the building are out while the exterminators are at work." Shisui murmured. "The head exterminator told me there's a snake in the building too, and that it hates you." _No, I know I can fight and live. But I'm worried you might die, can't you just make sure the Genin and civilians are safe? The Yondaime told me Orochimaru is in the village, and that he wants you dead._

"I always wanted to try snake soup." Naruto smirked, happy that she forced a laugh from Shisui. "Don't worry though, I set rat traps, I'm classified as a master, y'know?" _He won't kill me before I get him. And I prepared, this whole village is covered in my seals. I'm a fuuinjutsu master you know._

"Yeah, I know. But it doesn't stop me from worrying about you, stupid brat." Shisui shook his head, smiling slightly.

"Tell you what Uchiha," Naruto drawled.

Shisui rose a questioning brow.

"If you trust me..." The brow rose higher when Naruto suddenly flushed deeply. "I'll keep the tiny little itty bitty crush I've always had on you."

Naruto smiled when Shisui burst into laughter. After a moment, he chuckled, and ruffled the top of her loose hair.

"Alright you brat, I'll definitely hold you to that." Shisui teased. "And after the rats are cleared, I wanna hear all about this "itty bitty" tiny little crush of yours."

Naruto huffed as her partner collapsed into guffaws, and smacked his hand off the top of her head, cheeks steaming.

"Whatever asshole, don't flatter yourself! It _is_ itty bitty. Actually, it's freaking _microscopic_, practically not even there!"

When Shisui only laughed harder, Naruto fumed, grumbling a 'see you later', and shunshined away to save herself the mortification.

_'This is why I hate deep moments, you stupid Uchiha.'_ She thought fondly.

* * *

When she arrived to the stadium, Sakura was there, but there was no sign of Sasuke, or Gaara.

Naruto, had of course, sensed her fellow jinchuuriki was still in Konoha, but it appeared, he was in hiding. Well, hiding was entirely ridiculous. He was avoiding people. Specifically his fellow Sand nin. Naruto only knew he was in the Forest of Death because... Well... actually, she didn't really know why.

**'All containers know when another is close by.' **Kurama grumbled, rousing from his slumber.** 'That is simply how it is. It is the same with bijuu. Except, we know where we are at all times, no matter the distance.'**

_'Huh, interesting.'_

**'Not really.'** Kurama said blandly.

_'No no.'_ Naruto thought. _'That_ _could be useful. Jinchuuriki are powerful allies. And I decided a long time ago, that I wanted power.'_

**'Hm.'** The Fox grunted.

The kage box, held the Yondaime in the center, the Sandaime at his right, and the Mizukage to his left. The Kazekage, sat next to the Sandaime, and Naruto narrowed her eyes slightly. She could sense hatred radiating from the kage of Suna.

**'It appears the Snake wears the skin of the tanuki boy's father.'**

_'So The Kazekage is more then likely dead.'_ Naruto concluded.

**'Indeed.'** Kurama grumbled.** 'Do you think the old monkey is aware of who sits beside him?'**

_'Probably.'_ Naruto returned. _'He's just waiting for dad to make a call.'_

**'Foolish.'** Kurama snarled. **'You should just crush all of your enemies now.'**

_'We'll get to that. But first, I wanna spill some blood.'_

**'Heh. Twisted girl.' **The bijuu snorted.** 'Never mind that, what of your enemies? Your Genin peers are incompetent, and you work well with no other but that smiling Uchiha.'**

_'Chill out Fox. I won't give Sound the chance to attack with Suna as back up. I've already discussed the measures I'm going to take to prevent Suna's cooperation, right Harime-chan?'_

An eerie giggle in the back of her head was her only response.

Naruto ignored the single glowing orb that surfaced across her shadow.

She faintly sensed Harime's eye, still sealed into the flesh of Kabuto's right shoulder. Naruto looked up, and spotted a ferret masked ANBU guarding the top of the staircase to the kage box.

_'Kabuto-chan. I seeeee youuuuu~'_

Getting tired of waiting, a senbon chewing man flatly introduced himself as Genma Shiranui, and stated he was the proctor of the final stage.

"Where's Hayate-san?" Sakura asked innocently.

Genma looked at the pinkette for a moment, and shrugged as if he didn't know.

_'He's dead then.'_ Naruto, once again, concluded, having caught the remorseful gleam in the Jonin's hazel eyes.

"First match, Neji Hyuga vs. Naruto Uzumaki. All those but the previous please head to the bleachers." Genma drawled.

"I'd wish you luck..." Sakura mumbled, trailing off.

"But I won't need it." Naruto finished, grinning.

The pinkette huffed, and waved, making her way to the stairs with the rest of the Chunin hopefuls.

Neji and Naruto squared off, and Genma explained the rules, the same ones as the preliminaries.

"Begin." The proctor hopped back.

Neji slid into his clan's taijutsu stance, face carved of stone.

"What's this?" Naruto drawled. "No monolog belittling my existence?"

"You are more trouble then you are worth." Neji finally said. "Your fate is that of a loser, but you defy it, seeking power. You will not win here, because my fate has already decreed me the winner. Though, I recognize you have many tricks."

"So basically, you still believe some higher force decided you'll win, but since you've seen me fight, you're taking me seriously?" Naruto said.

Instead of answering, Neji glared, calling, "Byakugan!"

The veins around his milky eyes bulged, becoming more pronounced, and his extended fingertips glowed faintly with blue chakra.

"Okay, I'll play for a bit." Naruto grinned, her eyes flooding with red and black. When she did this, it did not only serve to intimidate her enemies.

There was a blur of movement, and Neji met Naruto in the center of the arena. He struck at her tenketsu, expression fierce, and she batted his wrists away, expression amused.

Yes, Blood Release allowed Naruto to be more in tune with the sound of flowing blood, and it's scent. But when her eyes turned black, with glowing red irises, she could _see_ blood. She could see through flesh, and literally see each individual cell flowing through her opponent's veins.

Most of the time, when she activated her eyes, it was partial, because she was using it simply for intimidation. Now that she fully activated them, some of the glowing veins across the black surface of her eyes burst, causing them to weep tears of boiling blood.

Neji flinched back, his chakra control wavering at the ghastly sight of steaming blood leaking from Naruto's devilish eyes.

Naruto took the opportunity to shove the heel of her hand into Neji's nose, breaking it with a loud **crunch**.

Neji howled in pain, and stumbled back, red gushing from his crooked nose.

"Where's fate now?" Naruto asked, only enraging the Hyuga with her bland tone.

The redhead watched the little cells in his veins rush through him rapidly from the force of his anger. His heart pounded faster, and pumped more blood through him.

"Shut up!" Neji barked, rushing in recklessly, and thrusting two open palms at Naruto's chest. "**Dashing double palm**!"

A streak of blue was left in his wake.

Before he could reach Naruto, two monstrously strong hands caught his wrist.

"Now there's no need to get _that_ angry, is there?" A voice giggled.

Naruto snickered when she heard someone scream, "It's... it's that _thing...!_" It was Temari. And the female Sand Genin apparently, was still terrified of Harime.

Said pigtailed menace, was grinning something wicked at Neji, who's eyes were impossibly wide, so surprised they had instinctively deactivated his doujutsu.

"Fate doesn't exist in the sense that you're using it~" Harime chirped, letting go of Neji's wrists, and as soon as she did, he flinched, stumbling away as if burned.

The shadow slithered down, and through Naruto's legs, rising once again to wrap her arms loosely around Naruto's shoulders from behind. Absently, Harime wiped away the blood on Naruto's cheeks.

"Yes, lives are decided by Kami from the beginning, but human beings have the power to choose to follow the path laid for them, or make their own choices. Hehe~ Everything is just a game~ So it doesn't matter _what_ you do, because either way, you're all going to die."

"Is that... is that thing a shadow?" Shikamaru muttered, for once, his lazy eyes were confused. "But why... why the hell is that thing _talking_?"

Sakura's hands covered her mouth, because she recognized that cheerful voice. But here was a mass of shadows, _speaking_ in that voice.

Sakura remembered.

She knew the owner of it, had disappeared inside the shadows. She thought they had died.

No... Not they. She. _Her_.

That girl... The one that had looked just like Naruto. Her redheaded teammate had spoken her name... The boy... Konohamaru, had spoken her name.

"Harime." Sakura whispered.

"Naruto..." The pinkette whispered. "What kind of stuff do you get yourself into?"

"That's not an illusion." Shino intoned. "My insects... they sense life."

Shikamaru looked at the stoic Aburame.

"Living..." He swallowed. "A _living_ shadow? Improbable."

"I don't know what you are." Neji growled, dragging the attention of the Genin back down to the arena. "But there is no way you could possibly comprehend my pain. There is no way you could understand the burden of being branded with a seal you never agreed to, and then be belittled by it!"

The angry Hyuga tore off his hitai-ate, revealing the green swirls of The Caged Bird Seal.

"I don't care about your pain." Harime stated flatly, surprising people at the dark drop of the previously cheerful tone her voice had used. "You don't know anything about Naruto, or what I am. So there is no way you can say what she is capable of comprehending."

When Neji sputtered in rage, Harime sneered at him, her black claws trailing over the apples of Naruto's cheeks. "You don't know what these eyes have seen." Her claws trailed down Naruto's throat, shoulders, and to her fingertips. "You don't known what these hands have done. How much blood has been washed from these fingertips. How many throats were slit with a blade held by these palms."

Harime brought her arms back up to wrap around Naruto's shoulders. "You don't know how many graves we've left in our wake."

Neji's eyes widened.

Harime quickly unsealed a storage scroll from Naruto's back, and activated it.

A flood of red spilled from its contents, and Naruto was content to allow Harime to control it.

Neji blanched as the blood rose, until it was a massive wave casting a huge foreboding shadow across the stadium.

There was a long moment of anticipating silence.

"Oh my god!" Someone screamed.

It fell.

"**Rotation**!"

Neji's roar was followed by a burst of blue. It rapidly swelled, forming a dome-like barrier of swirling chakra around him. The Hyuga spun furiously, repelling the fluids that descended upon him. As a result, blood sprayed everywhere, splattering people in the vicinity in thick crimson.

"Holy shit!" Kankuro choked, the metallic fluids seeping out of his mouth in globules.

Temari screeched, some of Naruto's blood having gotten in her eyes.

Neji only stopped when his control failed him, and he fell to his knees with a wet squelch.

Blood dripped from every solid surface.

Naruto grinned sharply. "Well, it looks like I win."

Belatedly, people realized, that the only ones not drenched in Naruto's blood, were members of Konoha, both shinobi, and its spectating civilians.

"**Blood Release.**" Harime snickered, watching as the "Kazekage" shot to his feet, attempting to stop them.

"**Mass Blood Infection.**" Naruto finished.

"_No_!" Orochimaru tore off his stolen face, his loathing snake eyes boring into Naruto as the Suna nin in the vicinity began howling in pain, Naruto's blood forcing it's way into their pores.

Temari drew her fan, "**Summoning Blade Dance**!" She blew away most of the blood on herself, Kankuro, and their sensei.

"Lets get the hell out of here!" The puppet nin yelled. His sister nodded her agreement, and they fled. Their Sensei, Baki, cursed, and entered the arena, attempting to kill Genma, but Guy flashed to his aid.

Suddenly, Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves, Sasuke at his back.

"What the hell?" The Copy Nin muttered, eyeing the spreading chaos. "Already? _Dammit_ Naruto, I didn't even get to use my shitty excuse!"

Sasuke bugged out, ducking under a stray wind jutsu from Baki.

"Get to the other Genin Sasuke." Kakashi barked, ripping up his hitai-ate. "Wait for further orders."

The Uchiha nodded, tearing off for the staircase leading to his young comrades, though, not before retrieving the collapsed Neji.

"Kill them!" Orochimaru roared, lunging for The Third. "Kill them all!"

Sound nin disguised as civilians leapt into action, but before they could reach the Genin, before they could even leave the bleachers, they were intercepted, by the Yondaime's ANBU.

Said blonde watched as Orochimaru took his predecessor hostage.

"Hiruzen?" Minato intoned.

The old man smiled, and shook his head. "This is a mistake I intend to fix on my own."

The blonde kage nodded in understanding, and disappeared in a yellow flash.

"Kabuto!" The Snake Sannin screamed, before forcing The Third with shunshin to the roof of the kage box.

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama." The ferret masked ANBU removed his disguise, revealing himself to be the bespectacled Kabuto, and he shunshined, appearing behind Naruto.

Harime didn't allow him to get any closer, and viciously bit him in the side of his neck.

"Ah!" The spy gurgled, stumbling back.

Naruto turned to face him, whilst flashing through handseals, symbols forming in the blood on the ground behind Kabuto.

The spy drew a kunai, and lunged at Naruto once again. Harime sloshed down, over the blood, arms still around her other half. Naruto followed her, engulfed by darkness.

Kabuto was left in the center of the stadium as war outbroke. What had been the Suna allies, were steaming piles of gory mush and bits of bone. Konoha's Genin were being commanded by Shisui, who appeared just as the Yondaime left.

The blonde kage was off to defend the gates of his village, where multi-headed snakes were awaiting orders to commence attack. He had previously stationed ANBU all around every entrance of Konoha, and each squad held one of his Flying Thunder god kunai to summon him.

Shisui flickered from point to point, tanto nothing but a silver gleam as he carved a bloody path for the Genin to lead the civilians through.

Kabuto noticed too late the coffin Naruto had summoned. He turned around, clutching his blood spurting neck wound with a trembling hand.

A near carbon copy of Naruto stepped from the depths of the coffin. Only, her hair reached her ankles, and she had one eye, a devilish void of black and red. The other, was stitched neatly closed.

The lower half of the copy's face was a fleshy jigsaw puzzle, stitched together meticulously to hide the rotting flesh beneath, and formed a large glasgow smile that nearly reached the corners of her eyes.

Kabuto felt like a fool, lately noting that her hair had been growing as he observed her, winding around his ankles in an intricate web.

She smiled, her stitches pulling tightly, hinting at the blackened death beneath.

"_'Step in to my parlor said the spider to the fly'_."

* * *

With a gasp, Naruto surfaced on the side of a building, the alley beneath her full of shadows.

"Note to self, traveling on the shadow plane is extremely unsettling." She mumbled.

Kurama's booming laugh echoed in the back of her head.

Naruto used chakra to walk up to the roof of the building, once there, a grin cracked her masked face in two.

She looked down, and saw Sound nin in fierce combat with her comrades.

"Hey Kurama, whaddyou say I throw myself a Death Day Party?"

**'I say, get on with it you twisted girl.'** The bijuu replied, snarling lips stretched into a grin.

"Ah ha ha~!" Naruto laughed, weaving through hand seals. "**Secret Art: Corpse Party.**"

The ground began to quake, and the battling nin paused.

No one knew what to do as a green hand broke through the surface of the ground, and clasped a Sound nin's ankle. But it soon became apparent that they should not be on the ground when the strength of the hand snapped his ankle like a twig.

He howled, and the hand turned into an arm, and a shoulder, and then jaws and teeth that ripped him to shreds.

More mounds of earth rose up, red headed corpses dragging themselves onto the surface from the ground they had been sealed in mere hours ago.

The shinobi took refuge on the rooftops, but a Konoha Jonin, drew his katana, and sliced his opponent's feet clean from his body, shoving him off the side of the building they were on to be devoured.

Taking his example, his comrades strived to do the same.

Naruto's zombies were delighted by the free meal. After all, it wasn't everyday the sky rained live human.

* * *

She lazily hopped over the ledges of civilians' rooftops, looking around for any area that may need her assistance, and stopped.

_'Ah, so there you are...'_ She thought.

A familiar wall of sand had risen up to block her path.

With smiling eyes, Naruto turned around, facing the blood haired Suna nin that glared at her from across the roof tiles.

"To what pleasure do I owe, little tanuki?" She asked pleasantly, as if there weren't screams of people being eaten alive, and she didn't hear the roars of giant snakes as her father slayed them, or there weren't explosions and clashes of weaponry.

Once again, Naruto found herself seized by sand arms, brought closer to stare into Gaara's previously dead eyes.

"What have you done?" The Sand nin uttered, so quietly, Naruto almost missed it.

"You find it curious, don't you?" Naruto asked softly. "That silence. It frightens you. Because you find yourself realizing, your thoughts no longer center around death, and bloodshed. And it makes you think... 'maybe those weren't my thoughts'."

Naruto was yanked away by the sand arms, and slammed into the roof tiles so roughly, they splintered beneath her weight, spraying up and clattering down around her.

Gaara loomed over her, the sun behind him casting shadows across his face. His livid, _snarling_ face.

"What have you done to me?" He growled. "You are like me. I know you are. So then... _why_? No one would know better than you, that to exist for no reason, is the same thing as being dead."

"You have a reason to exist." Naruto said. "You just haven't found it. Your reason to exist doesn't have to be mass destruction. Don't you get it? I gave you the chance to carve your own path. One not made of the corpses of those around you."

"But now there is nothing." Gaara spat, clutching the kanji on his head. He seemed baffled, as if he expected there to be a pain there. He shook his head. "Now there is nothing... Nothing there! My mother... _where_ is my mother!? I have no purpose... You stole my purpose."

Naruto forced Kurama's chakra from her tenketsu, leaving burns up and down her arms beneath her sleeves. The vile substance of the fox's hatred, turned Shukaku's summoned arms to glass.

"No. That was not your mother. Shukaku is _not_ your mother." Naruto stated firmly. "Shukaku is a bijuu, who has manipulated you. And I have given you an escape from that. There is something. You have to choose what _you_ want that something to be._ You_ have to choose your _own_ purpose."

As Naruto stood, Gaara stumbled away, green eyes horrified at the glass she had reduced his sand to, without even _trying_.

"Why?" Gaara muttered, eyes still wide as he stared now at Naruto's masked face. "Why would you even care about how I live? About what I am? It has already been decided for me, that I am to be a monster."

"Yeah, you're right, me too." Naruto said. "But before either of us became monsters, we were human. And we deserved to have a choice."

Naruto's blue-green eyes hardened. "We deserve to choose for ourselves. Our purpose, is a decision that belongs to no other but ourselves."

Naruto heard Gaara's breath hitch.

"I know that look in your eyes. Because it's the same as mine." Naruto began. "I know you feel it too. That we share the same pain. And I know, that pain lead you to what you are today. And I also know, that before this Gaara, there was little boy. A lonely little boy in Suna, all alone, just like the lonely little girl alone in Konoha. I know they both just wanted to be loved. I know that they don't know what love is. But that lonely little girl has been searching. She wants the lonely little boy to find it with her."

Gaara stared at Naruto's hand, that was reaching out to him. It was not reaching out to strike him, it was not holding a weapon to kill him.

It was just a hand. A hand asking for him to take. To _trust_.

Neither jinchuuriki seemed to hear the sound of chaos around them. They were deaf to the explosions, and the roars of powerful jutsu, and ignorant to the smell of blood and chard flesh.

There was only Gaara. There was only Naruto.

There was only two pairs of sad eyes, and an outstretched hand.

Gaara's face crumbled under the weight of his anguish.

Naruto grabbed his hand, and she slipped once again through his ultimate defense. Their fingers laced together, and their hearts beat the same sorrowful tune.

Gaara stiffened, and Naruto hugged him.

_'He makes me want to comfort him. Like a little brother...'_ She realized. _'He makes me want to protect him.'_

Kurama said nothing.

Harime made not a sound.

This was Naruto's time.

"That silence, is not nothing. It's _something_." Naruto whispered into his hair. "It's peace."

The winds swept her form away, and Gaara fell to his knees.

War raged on.

* * *

**Seriously guys, read this, or you will not know what's going on.**

**I put slight yuri because of the stuff I'm constantly hinting at between Naruto and Karin now, but this story HAS NO PAIRING. This is a horror fic, with a lot of bullshit thrown in. No romance. Seriously. No. I honestly just thought it would be funny if Naruto had a fangirl. Sorry if I disappointed you, but Naruto barely knows what love is, she's not ready for a relationship, not to mention, she just barely made it to her teens.**

**'Til next time.**


	26. When Blood Boils

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image.**

**I'd tell you to enjoy, but even I know this chapter sucks major b-**

* * *

Mei Terumi sat in her seat, soaked in the blood of one Naruto Uzumaki.

The Yondaime had flashed away to do Kami knows what, and the Sandaime had summoned the Monkey King Enma, and was fighting the Snake Sannin above her.

"It seems they've forgotten me, in the middle of war no less. This is no way to treat a beautiful lady." The Mizukage murmured, glossy lips quirking in black humor.

Mei snapped her fingers, a whip of water materialized, pulled from the very air, and fell over her head, washing her form of blood. She stood, and looked over at Ao, her personal guard. The blue haired man was not amused.

With a hearty chuckle, Mei washed him of blood as well.

"Reckless child." Ao muttered, glaring down at Naruto, who seemed to be falling into a pool of shadows.

"No no." Mei refuted, baby pink heel clacking over the balcony edge of the Kage Box. "Clever child." She corrected.

Ao rose a brow, watching his Kage vault herself over the edge of the Kage Box, summoning a wave of water that she road down into the center of the stadium.

Mei stood suspended in the air, atop her whip of water, entranced as she watched the ghastly parody of Naruto's hair grow. It twisted and turned, forming an intricate web around the young man's ankles, ensnaring him.

The gray haired youth's hands faintly began glowing green, and he twisted about, slicing through the long thick locks of blood colored hair.

_'Chakra scalpel?'_ Mei thought. '_Impressive technique.'_

Her glossy lips quirked. _'As much as I would love to watch a battle between Naruto's clone and that boy, there are far more pressing matters…'_

Mei wove through hand seals, gathering chakra into her lungs.

_'There are way too many eyesores for my taste.'_

"All Leaf nin!" Ao bellowed, recognizing his Kage's jutsu in progress. "Look out below!"

The Leaf shinobi battling Sound nin throughout the stadium wounded their targets to stun them, having enough time to leap into the air, just as the Mizukage called the name of her jutsu.

"**Lava Style: Lava Monster Jutsu**!"

A wave of glowing magma spilled from the Mizukage's lips, falling over the heads of the unsuspecting Sound nin like a burning veil. The lava pooled onto the ground, leaving blackened, steaming, and scorched infirm corpses in its wake.

Belatedly, Jorogumo realized the corpse that should've been Kabuto had light brown hair, instead of gray.

"Oh my, it seems there was no fly." The long haired clone murmured, looking up at the Mizukage who was giving her a curious look.

"Dead Soul Jutsu." The clone clarified.

"How resourceful." Mei commented, summoning more lava, and using it to obliterate the enemies still remaining in a single elegant stroke of her arm. Zabuza, Haku, Chojuro, and Chiharu watched from the seats that once held the audience, noting their Kage had everything covered down below. So, they opted to cut down any remaining enemies in the audience alongside the battling Leaf nin.

Jorogumo bowed to the Mizukage, and leapt onto the walls of the Chunin Exam stadium. She was not surprised to find a horde of her creator's new zombie clones feasting on the enemy below.

"Well, my brain was ressurected for the sole purpose of commanding this fleet..."

Her already ankle length hair began spilling in ridiculously long rivers from her scalp, slithering down to the feeding zombies below, twisting around their shambling feet.

"So command them I will."

The chakra infused strands spiraled up, piercing the zombies in their decaying brains, and began feeding them the healing chakra Naruto had gathered from Karin earlier in the day, and then given to Jorogumo.

The clone's eyes glowed with the power of the chakra, and they stood up from their various positions, carnage staining their bared teeth.

"No enemy walks from this village." Jororgumo commanded from above, retracting her hair from the skulls of the creator's clones.

With their temporary intelligence, the green clones all cracked wicked grins, heads turning to the edge of the village, where more Sound nin were breaching the walls.

There were flashes of gold here and their, signifying the Yondaime was in the middle of combat.

"Why don't you all see if daddy dearest wouldn't mind giving you a snack." Jorogumo intoned, gesturing to the direction of the outer battles.

The clones needed no further prompting. Things were about to get really fun.

* * *

When Konohamaru heard the first explosion, he immediately reached to his kunai pouch, pulling out two of the three tags Naruto had given him earlier. He looked at the two tags, recognizing one of them was for a summon, and the other was a storage seal. The boy knew the storage seal, as well as the black tag was for something entirely different than the danger Naruto had apparently anticipated would befall him. So, he tucked it away, leaving the summoning seal in his slightly shaking hand.

Not wanting to destroy his big sis' home, and wondering where Karin had gone after Naruto left for the Exams, he shunshined to the next roof over, already feeling predatory eyes on him.

He had to force himself not to be distracted by the outbreak of fighting, and shinobi flooding the streets, being intercepted by ANBU.

Ignoring his fear, and confusion at what the hell was going on, Konohmaru stretched out his senses in the same way Naruto taught him. And he felt it.

A slight, small pulse of chakra that anyone could miss, had they not been looking for it.

The boy launched himself into a back flip, narrowly avoiding the chakra glowing hand that had moved to slice him from his right shoulder to his left hip, undoubtedly wanting to immobilize him. It hadn't been meant to kill him, but Konohamaru knew the new arrival had no qualms against hurting him severely.

The crouched figure materialized completely from their shunshin, and rose to a full standing position, revealing an older teen with gray hair, and round glasses. Curiously, there was fresh, glaring pink healed bite wound at the side of his neck.

Of course, there's no way Konohamaru would ever know that immediately after Kabuto had been bitten by Harime, he replaced himself with one of the victims of his Dead Soul Jutsu, and healed over the grievous wound, not wanting to risk being killed. He knew if he wanted to get to Naruto, he'd have to strike where it hurt. And it just so happened that Kabuto gathered information that told the tale of Uzumaki being very fond of a certain young Sarutobi.

_'I will not face Orochimaru-sama's wrath for failing him. I must apprehend Naruto Uzumaki.'_ He thought.

"Who the heck are you?" Konohamaru spat, feeding Naruto's sealing tag a bit of his chakra.

"Kabuto Yakushi," The bespectatcled teen said, pushing his glasses up onto his nose with a dark smirk. "But, you can also associate me with your own death."

"Wha-"

The traitor lunged, but before he could reach the kid, the boy threw the tag clutched in his hand, feeding it the last bit of chakra necessary to activate it.

There was a flash of blue, and Kabuto knew he shouldn't have underestimated one who spent most of his time with the Yondaime's child.

The scream of a chainsaw was the last thing Kabuto heard before he was literally torn in two from the center of his skull down.

Konohamaru squeezed his eyes shut at the resulting spray of gore, surprised that the man had been taken down so easily. The bisected halves of the arrogant man thumped uselessly to the bland roof surface.

"Boy,"

Said boy flinched and popped open one eye, looking at the chainsaw wielding clone that had saved him. Ichi.

Ni was at her side, and finshied her twin's senetnce for her. "Naruto-sama instructed us to protect you. And it seems the gray one likes playing with dead things just as much as she does."

Mouth falling open, Konohamaru looked down at the mutilated corpse of Kabuto, noting that the gray hair, was now a deep black. Konohamaru had seen many things after years of knowing Naruto, but he had never seen something quite so stomach churning as a person rended with serrated and rotating blades.

"Is this some kind of sick henge using someone else's body?" He croaked, feeling the ramen he'd eaten that morning try to slither its way out of his stomach.

"Not quite." Ichi shrugged, falling into combat position with her twin at her back. "The gray one has yet to really die. He is hiding, and has henged all of his dolls so they have the same bite wound."

"No matter though," Ni continued. "We will destroy all the dolls until we find the one playing with them."

Konohamaru gulped, ignoring the taste of bile on the back of his tongue as Ichi revved up her chainsaw, and Ni began swinging her iron ball slightly at her side to keep limber.

Something occured to the brunette.

"Wait!" He boy blurted. "What dolls?"

As if to answer his question, several Kabuto look-a-likes flickered onto the rooftop the clones and Sarutobi occupied, all wearing the same dark smirk.

"Oh," Konohamaru deflated. "Those dolls..."

"We can play this game all day until Naruto comes." They said in unison. "But that would be annoying, so we'll just get rid of you cheap puppets and be taking the boy."

"Hn." Ichi said.

"We shall see." Ni finished.

The Kabuto squads lunged, hands glowing with deadly green chakra.

* * *

"Damnit!" Danzo gritted, standing up from his desk chair as he felt yet another explosion shake the village down to its foundations. He had been recently planning to manipulate Naruto's inner hatred for everything into killing her father so that he could take the seat of Hokage in the blonde man's stead. But it would seem the elder's numbered days were finally up. He could feel the hum of his foolish pupil's chakra all throughout the village above.

"Playing with corpses again that foolish child." He scowled, rounding his desk to leave his office and once again go to the surface to protect his village.

With all the chakra Danzo sensed Naruto using, it was a wonder the girl wasn't already dead. But, he needed the girl to protect the Leaf, so she was not allowed to die yet.

"Tch." The elder tutted, opening the sharingan eye he'd stolen from Sasuke's father, Fugaku Uchiha. "Saving the village means saving you, foolish girl..."

Without a second thought to the consequences, Danzo's form was swept from his office by a silent breeze.

* * *

After leaving Gaara to his thoughts, Naruto returned to the stadium, shunshining atop the roof that held a curious rectangular purple barrier that had four odd characters keeping it constant. The smoking remains of an ANBU told Naruto exactly what would happen to her if she charged in blindly.

Rolling her eyes, Naruto looked at the three remaining ANBU on the rooftop, raising a perfect red brow at the still warriors watching their former Kage batter Orochimaru with his summon in staff form, the Monkey King Enma.

"Why are you all just standing there?" She asked. "The one's responsible for the barrier are right in front of you, and you didn't think that taking them out would cancel the barrier?"

Impossibly, the silent nin stiffened even more, having their obvious and stupid folly so plainly pointed out to them.

_'Elite?'_ Naruto scoffed. _'How embarrassing.'_

**'Pfft.'** Kurama snickered in agreement. **'If this is the extent of your village's "elite", then what does that make the pink one on your team? Kage level?'**

Naruto decided to ignore that sad, yet admittedly hilarious piece of sarcasm, and glared shortly at the ANBU.

"Cheeta, eliminate the fat one, Dog, the freak with six arms, and Jackal, the two headed drag queen." Naruto ordered, eyes flooding with red and black. "I'll take on the chick with pink hair."

"Who are you to order us around?" Dog sneered.

The redhead's glare melted, away, and she cocked her head to the side innocently, taking pleasure in the shivers she sent up the agents' spines.

"The one sending you to your grave if my Jiji gets hurt." Naruto smiled.

Naruto left no room for argument, hands clasping in the rat sign. "**Secrete Art: Blood Shadow Fusion.**" She called, summoning Harime up and around her body before finishing her jutsu.

"**Reaper Mode Version One: Phantasm.**"

A black wispy cloak with a sickled hood, white razor teeth, and Harime's eyes on either side materialized around the redhead's form. Her skin bruised pitch black, holding an odd transparent quality that allowed her milky bones to shine through.

"Do what I say, or I will kill you where you stand." The Uzumaki stated.

The ANBU needed no further prompting, and blurred into action, blades silver gleams as they drew them from their sheaths, intent to draw blood and steal life.

"Alright Harime-chan, lets kick it up a notch." Naruto murmured.

"Okie dokie~" The living shadow giggled, becoming one with Naruto's skin.

The redhead summmoned Kurama's hateful chakra, feeling it seep into her very blood, setting it to a boil.

Naruto's eyes began burning, weeping streams of steaming red, and a single glowing fox tail spilled from the small of her back.

"**Reaper Mode Version Two: Head Hunter.**"

Naruto's shadow was driven wild, shooting up and into her right hand, forming a black staff with six feet of length. With a hidden grin, Naruto watched a black sickled distortion sprout from the top side of her weapon, forming a jagged scythe blade.

"Say Harime-chan, whaddyou say we go head hunting?" She snickered, devilish eyes sliding over to the dark pink haired girl she recognized from the Bingo Book. Tayuya of the North Gate. Genjutsu expert and Doki Summoner.

"She'd make a pretty doll wouldn't she?" Naruto mused.

An eerie giggle in the back of her head was her only response.

With a shrug, Naruto took a step, and melted once more into the shadows.

_'Hold on Jiji, I'll be there soon...'_ She thought.

* * *

**Sorry it's short, I know, but I need inspiration. My creativity meter keeps flipping me the bird while it's on vacation.**


	27. The Sounds of Screams

**Thank you guys for sending me ideas. It's really appreciated.**

**Thank you Karkatsbabe for the beautiful idea of what happens to Kabuto. And Ana, a guest reviewer for the Sound Four doll idea.**

**Also, a while back someone reviewed about a horror music video or something, but I can't remember their name and i couldn't find their review. So if you're reading this, thank you.**

**I don't own Naruto, the cover image, or the song Hide and Seek(1) and (2). I don't own the original or the English version by Lizz**

* * *

Tayuya sensed a fast approaching object.

The pinkette knew she was too slow to get fully out of harm's way. Well, maybe if she activated her curse seal, but there was no such thing as an instant curse seal activation. So, the pink haired teen spat out a curse, and lunged to the side, breaking off her chakra flow into the Four Violet Flames Formation. The barrier flickered, noticeably weakening as Tayuya pulled away from it, taking a savage blunt object into the center of her gut.

"Tayuya!" Jirobo yelled.

Spit burst from the pinkette's mouth as the breath was knocked out of her, and she was sent rocketing back, falling into a clumsy back handspring to try and gather her bearings. Tayuya clawed at the tiles of the roof she was on, sliding back several feet as she scowled, dark eyes darting this way and that to spot who the hell had hit her.

"Underneath you."

The pink haired girl leapt into the air, black eyes narrowing as a massive blade tore through the tiles she'd been standing on, sending the clay scattering everywhere with loud clatters.

Tayuya landed with a muted clack, eyeing the huge slit in the roof left behind from the blade.

"The fuck kind of blade was that?" She muttered.

"The kind that's gonna be dripping your blood."

"Shit!" Tayuya hissed, launching herself onto the roof adjacent to the one her comrades occupied.

She went into the pouch around her waist and pulled out her flute, black eyes sliding back and forth. Ignoring the outside sounds of battle, it was too quiet. She was being stalked. Preyed upon.

_'Too bad you don't know who you're up against, trash.'_ She thought, smirking viciously as she brought the beige instrument to her lips.

"You think hiding is going to scare me? Pfft, I'll flush you out, and then dispose of you like the trash you are!"

The pink haired girl took a swift inhale of the blood scented air around her, and began weaving a grim tune, thin fingers plugging holes in time with her breathing.

As the song progressed, black branches tore through the roof tiles she was on, coiling around the sides of the building and sprouted ash colored leaves.

As predicted, the person hiding beneath her used the same technique from earlier to meld out of the shadows on the roof, dodging the hazardous branches of the trees Tayuya was summoning with her flute.

The two stood across from each other.

Tayuya stopped playing her flute, but the trees remained, and she left the instrument near her lips for future use.

"What the fuck are you?" Tayuya spat, glaring at the black thing whose bones she could clearly see, holding an equally black scythe over its shoulder.

"I'm Naruto." The thing giggled, cocking its head to the side, glowing red eyes peering through the thick shadows of its hood.

Tayuya narrowed her eyes. "The yellow fag's little spawn." She said, recognizing the name of the one whose head Lord Orochimaru wanted.

"Ah, ah ah~" Naruto sing songed chidingly. "Don't talk about my Daddy like that, or I'll have to do something bad."

Tayuya smirked, her skin flooding with black markings as she released the chakra she summoned to her cursed seal.

"Bring it trash."

Naruto giggled, swinging her scythe around from her shoulder and twirling it with playful skill.

"I'll shred you to pieces."

Horns ripped through the helmet atop Tayuya's head, her lips twisting into a snarl. "You can try." She said.

Naruto's glowing eyes began weeping blood, steam rising from the red fluids spilling down her shadowed face.

_'I'm Jonin level.'_ Tayuya thought. _'What could some stupid little girl do to me?'_

"I like that song thing with the genjutsu." Naruto said. "Mind if I take a page from your book?"

Tayuya gawped, surprised that the brat had figured out her technique so quickly.

"Don't make such a funny face." The brat giggled. "You're in the bingo book."

_'Oh yeah.'_ The pinkette thought, schooling her features into a distasteful scowl.

"You really think you can copy my technique by seeing it once you little shit?"

"No." Naruto shrugged, placing her scythe back over her shoulder.

"I suck at genjutsu. But you reminded me of something from when I was a kid, so I wanna play with you a bit."

"What the fuck are you babbling about?" Tayuya spat. "I don't give two shits abo-"

"I'll sing you a song, and we can play hide and seek, 'kay?"

"What the fu-"

"**Fuuinjutsu Style: Four Prong Spacial Eater.**" Naruto stated, voice taking a dark drop.

Tayuya screeched in indignation, blood suddenly drenching her down to the bone. She furiously stretched out her senses as she felt the atmosphere shift coldly, wiping the stinging blood from her eyes.

"Okay Tayuya, you try and hide, and I'll come find you." Naruto said, voice ominously resonating from all sides of the blinded pinkette. "And when I find you…"

"You little tramp!" Tayuya screamed. "What the fuck did you do to me?" She demanded, spitting blood from her tongue in disgust.

"_Ding dong you can't keep me waiting, it's already too late, for you to try and run away._"(1)

_'This little shit is singing?'_ Tayuya thought skeptically, black eyes drinking in the sight of a long stone hallway.

"_Our game of hide and seek has just begun…_"(2)

The pinkette ignored the brats singing, and turned around at the sound of raspy voices.

A horde of bleeding rag dolls were shambling slowly down the thickly shadowed hallway behind her. They all had nooses around their necks, as if they had recently been cut down from a lynching.

_'Hide and seek huh?'_ Tayuya thought, turning away from the horrendous sight, and back towards the stretching hallway lined with many doors. _'You little piece of trash… You're gonna have to try a lot harder to break me.'_

With that, the pink haired Sound nin took off with blurring speed down the hall.

Tayuya released an irritated tut, biting down on her flute so that her hands were free for a moment, knowing it was useless to try and use genjutsu against a gaggle of corpses.

Instead, she brought her hands before her chest, running through handsigns.

"**Summoning: Rage Ogres!**"

* * *

Konohamaru grunted in pain as one of the Kabuto clones kicked him across the face, sending him flying to the side before he righted himself mid-air and landed in a shaky crouch.

The boy spat a bit of blood from his resulting split lip, and glared, paling and rolling out of the way when Ni came crashing down from above, her spiked iron ball crushing the skull of the clone in a show of startling brutality.

"Ichi." Ni intoned.

"I know." Her twin responded.

Konohamaru's eyes widened, feeling something warm and sticky dribble onto the back of his neck, making the fine hairs there raise on end.

He turned slowly, until he was craining his neck almost painfully.

The boy's already wide eyes bulged even more.

Kabuto stood behind him, his own eyes wide behind the gleaming lenses of his glasses, his chapped lips slightly open as he stared down at the Sarutobi in shock. Konohamaru's eyes slid down slowly, and he finally blinked at the blood covered hand protruding through Kabuto's midsection. Said Snake's apprentice suddenly coughed, blood spurting from his mouth.

The hand slid from the wound it created, causing red to gush out, a few droplets landing on Konohamaru's face.

"Hmph, sloppy." Karin chided, stepping out from behind the young man, just as Ni flashed behind him, summoning a bit of chakra to sink her fingers into Kabuto's clothed shoulder, pulling out a round orb.

With her only hand, Ni showed Konohamaru a familiar blue-green eye.

"We knew where he was all along with the shard of Naruto's soul residing inside of this."

_'So you mean they were just playing with him all along!?'_ The boy thought skeptically, and just a touch horrified.

Karin wiped her bloodied hand onto the frozen Kabuto's shirt, stepping away after snagging the young Sarutobi by the wrist, pulling him behind her as Ichi strided over, revving up her chainsaw.

The vicious spitting of the contraption snapped the bespectacled med nin out of whatever shock he had been trapped in, and he made to move, but Ni tossed Naruto's original eye to Karin, who caught it with a lazily outstretched hand, and the clone used her only hand to hold Kabuto in place by burying her fingers into his scalp.

The gray haired boy winced deeply, blood dribbling down his chin as he looked up at Ichi, looming over him with her roaring chainsaw.

"W-wait…!" Kabuto stuttered, dark eyes wide in a sudden onslaught of terror. "Pl-please!"

"No mercy." Ichi and Ni intoned.

Ni applied more pressure to Kabuto's scalp, making him grimace and bow under her hand, his legs bending open.

The chainsaw wielding clone held her vibrating weapon between Kabuto's legs as the young man began squirming fruitlessly.

He soon realized Ichi's intent, and began screaming in protest, but she cut him off by sweeping her arms upwards, tearing through Kabuto's crotch in a spray of shredded entrails and blood until she reached his skull. The blood drenched clones stepped back as the ruined halves of Kabuto's remains flopped wetly on opposite sides of the roof tiles, joining the bits of ripped flesh and splatters of gore.

Karin winced as her front was painted in warm red, but she still shielded Konohamaru behind her. She had applied a strong genjutsu to the boy to make him blind and deaf to the actions of the two clones, but as her stomach rolled nautiously, she couldn't help but think that she should have left all together.

The redhead looked away from the carnage, hand dipping into the pouch around her waist to pull out a jar with preserving jell within it. Unscrewing the cap, the crimson eyed girl placed Naruto's eye inside, closed it, and tucked it safely back into her pouch.

After Naruto had bitten her to absorb a bit of her chakra, her fellow redhead had given her a list of things to do.

First she was to hide to the best of her ability inside Naruto's apartment, even if she heard Konohamaru was in trouble, or leaving at the sounds of battle, she was not to reveal herself. When she was sure she was alone again, she was to come out of hiding, locate Naruto's surrogate little brother with her chakra sensing capabilities, and wait until she deemed it the best time to step in and help him. The top of the list said she may need a jar with preserving jell if the enemy sent who she thought they would send to abduct Konohamaru.

Naruto even had enough foresight to instruct Karin not to read the note until she left, knowing that the crimson eyed girl would question her as to why she had enemies wanting to hurt her so bad they would take Kono.

The bottom of the list said, _"Use these hand seals to summon The Underground, but only in the most dire of circumstances. You will know how dire only if what could happen happens. In that time, use the eye"_.

_'Use the eye how though?'_ Karin wondered._ 'As far as I can tell, it's just an eye with no extraordinary abilities.'_

Karin turned around, and slung Konohamaru over her shoulder, shushing the boy venomously when he began to protest. The crimson eyed girl leapt over the rooftops, looking for an acceptable place to hide, and just settled for returning to Naruto's apartment. She knew how to get into The Gallows, and knew no one other than she and Naruto could. The crimson eyed Uzumaki dispelled the genjutsu on Konohamru's senses once she was far enough away from Kabuto's murder sight.

_'Wait.'_ Karin paused, looking up into the sky thoughtfully, knowing that it was okay as she sensed no one nearby. _'Didn't one of those clones say that the eye has a shard of Naruto's soul inside of it?'_

Her breath hitched slightly when she remembered that yes, the clone had said that.

"B-but… why would Naruto tell me to use the eye for anything? And what's in The Underground that I'd know to use the eye for?"

"What are you muttering about?" Konohamaru huffed, still slung over her shoulder.

"Nothing." Karin assured him, going back to roof hopping. "Nothing at all."

_'I hope Naruto-chan will be alright.'_ She thought worriedly.

* * *

Naruto pulled a list of things to do she'd scrawled out the day before in case she died for whatever reason, biting her thumb and smearing a bit of blood onto the back of it, before sticking it to the wall near the entrance of The Underground.

She'd deactivated her Reaper Mode, and Harime's shadowed form was draped over her back, black arms wrapped loosely around her creator's neck from behind.

Tayuya was still deep in the twisting hall of The Underground, playing with the dolls summoned from Naruto's Toy Box. Naruto sensed the girl's exhausted in the way her chakra signature wavered. She wasted a lot using her curse seal and summoning her Doki to try and bust her way out of The Underground. The pink haired girl soon learned that the Doki were too big to do anything effective in the halls. So, she settled for running.

"Honestly, she knows it's pointless," Naruto muttered.

"But she's still fighting it anyway." Harime giggled.

Naruto snorted, making her way down the stairs and further into The Underground.

"I'm not sure if something will happen to me, but just in case let's keep Tayuya-chan down here." The redhead said.

"You want me to stay with her until after the invasion?" Harime asked, rubbing her shadowed cheek against Naruto's from behind. It was an odd sensation, as the pigtailed apparition didn't really have a substance. So it was kind of an unnatural warmness against her skin, doubled with the feeling of lightly being touched by the tip of someone's fingers.

"Ehehehehe~" Harime sniggered, releasing Naruto's shoulders, and pooling back down onto the floor. She resurfaced in front of her creator, and pulled herself from Naruto's shadow, leaving the redhead with no shadow at all.

"Keep her alive." Naruto ordered.

Harime's glowing eyes narrowed as the lower half of her face curved into a sharp grin. The shadow saluted Naruto, chirping out, "Will do!"

The redhead rolled her eyes as Harime melted into the floor, and she summoned Ichi and Ni to her, along with the Toy Box, sensing that they had reclaimed her original eye. She'd known that Kabuto had died for real because with her eye sealed within him, whenever he used chakra, she could feel it. Because she sensed the seal binding her eye to him breaking, she knew the bespectacled Yakushi was no more.

"Naruto-sama." Ichi and Ni greeted, kneeling and covered in gore.

"How are Konohamaru and Karin?" The redhead asked.

"Alive." They chorused. "They've returned to your apartment to hide."

The redhead allowed herself a small smile.

"Good work. Now I need you to retrieve all of the dolls playing with our guest." Naruto said. "I want them returned to the Toy Box before I return to help stop the invasion."

"Hai, Naruto-sama."

The two bloodied clones blurred into action. Naruto pulled out a seal tag that connected her to Jorogumo's freshly rejuvenated brain. She pulsed her chakra through it twice, notifying the clone to return to her coffin.

She tucked the tag back into her shuriken pouch, and waited for Ichi and Ni to return.

* * *

Jorogumo felt a tickling at the back of her head, and then another wave of the fluttery feeling shimmied through her skull. The clone pulled away from the torso she had her face submerged in, strings of torn flesh following her sudden movement.

The stitched mouthed clone pulled the intestines hanging from her lips away and tossed them aside, completely oblivious to the wide eyed look the Mizukage had been giving her since she'd began feeding.

Jorogumo held her hands before her chest in a seal, and pulsed chakra through the symbol.

The entire ground rippled, and every zombie clone Naruto had summoned into battle began sinking into the ground, releasing whoever they were feasting on. Though, the poor souls were long dead, throats and hearts torn out to ensure no one would be escaping meal time.

The long haired clone stood up, dusting a bit of brain matter off of her lace bodysuit and bowed to the Mizukage.

"Master calls." Jorogumo shrugged. "Farewell."

Mei blinked out of her silent stupor, and waved a bit awkwardly. "Goodbye."

Jorogumo nodded, stepping over the lava turned igneous rock and returning to her still standing coffin. It was nearly indestructable with all of the seals Naruto lined it with both inside and out, so lava hadn't even burnt it.

The clone pulled a white hanky from the top of her bodysuit, wiping away a bit of gore smeared across her mouth, releasing a dainty little burp as she shambled into her coffin.

The lid slowly creaked closed, and the coffin began sinking into the ground, leaving all those bearing witness to wonder what on _earth_ had possessed Naruto when she had created that thing.

Mei shook her head, looking over to Ao who was looking a tad pale.

The blue haired man stared back, and finally asked, "And they say Mist shinobi are psychotic?"

Mei threw her head back and laughed.

* * *

Minato wiped a bit of sweat off of his brows with his forearm, destroyed snake summon bits and Sound nin corpses scattered all around him.

"Honestly," The Yellow Flash muttered, staring out into his village from his perch atop the wall, watching a gaggle of green Narutos sink into the ground. "What on _earth_ made Orochimaru think it was a good idea to attack my village?"

The blonde man snorted. "Who cares? He's not leaving alive after this stunt."

With that, he disappeared in a yellow flash.

* * *

Once everything was set in place Naruto appeared atop a roof a few meters away from where the Third was battling Orochimaru. There was no barrier up, and what remained of Sound Four was decapitated pieces. The redhead had honestly thought she'd have to step in and help the poor guy who had to fight the two headed drag queen, but even that guy couldn't survive having both heads cut off. If ANBU were good for anything, it was quick and efficient kills.

Naruto moved to go and help her Jiji, but was yanked to a stop.

She forced a blood spike to tear through her back, curving around to skewer the head of the one who dared to stand in her way.

Unfortunately, this person was the one who trained her, and knew her every trick, and simply tilted their head out of harm's way.

"Danzo…!" Naruto gritted.

"No respect!" He hissed, slapping the teen across the face so hard she tasted copper.

Naruto glared and yanked her wrist from his bruising hold, rubbing at it with her free hand gingerly. "What are you doing here?" She demanded, allowing the blood spike to return back into her flesh, and scab over.

The slit eyed man turned his nose up at his disciple.

"I am here to insure you won't do anything that will land you in one of those coffins you seem to love so much." He said. "Return to the base and wait for further orders."

"But Jiji-"

Naruto was cut off as Danzo slapped her again, this time so hard she felt her teeth rattle in their sockets as she lost her footing for a moment.

"You _dare_ to disobey me?" Danzo questioned darkly.

Naruto stood her ground, eyes pooling with red and black. "You don't get to order me around anymore, old man." She sneered.

The bandaged elder's visible eye opened, revealing the dark merciless void that used to haunt Naruto's worst nightmares until she stopped sleeping altogether.

"Now is not the time, but you will be punished severely for your insolence." Danzo promised chillingly. He pulled the wrappings from around his face, revealing his stolen sharingan eye. "I will make your training seem like heaven compared to what will befall you after this."

He was going to try and command her with the sharingan before hiding it away again. The redhead just_ knew_ it.

Naruto gritted her teeth, devilish eyes glowing with loathing as her old sensei stared at her with his insufferable beady eye. The sharingan did not intimidate her. Actually, she was glad he'd pulled it out. With whom she sensed nearby, there was no way he was walking away from her unscathed.

"Didn't you hear old man?" She asked, smiling when a flock of crows stormed into the space between them, forcing Danzo to stumble back. "You don't have any power anymore. You're going to be tried for treason."

Itachi and Shisui Uchiha materialized between Naruto and Danzo, their sharingan eyes spinning lazily as they stared into the eyes of the elder. He quickly snapped his stolen eye shut, though, it was much too late. They'd seen it.

_'Game over you wrinkly old fuck.'_

"My my," Itachi intoned, glancing at the redhead over his shoulder. "It's been quite sometime since I've seen you, Naruto-chan."

Naruto's devilish eyes crinkled. "Hello Itachi. Great to see you."

Sasuke's older brother smiled sweetly, both of his eyes arching closed before he turned back around, facing Danzo.

"Well well, what do we have here Itachi?" Shisui drawled, absently turning for a moment to pat the top of Naruto's curls. "During an invasion, a non Uchiha reveals a sharingan that is quite obviously stolen?"

"Doesn't that mean we're looking at a traitor?" Itachi asked innocently, playing along.

"Why yes Itachi." Shisui chirped, slowly drawing the tanto over his shoulder. "Yes it does."

Danzo was too slow, and before he could get very far, Shisui flickered into existence behind him, smoothly coming out of a crouch and flinging blood off the tip of his blade.

With a grunt, crimson spurted from the back of Danzo's slit knees, and he fell to them as Itachi shunshined before him, pale hand reaching towards his face.

With a solemn expression, Shisui slapped a stun tag onto the elder's back, and buried a hand in his hair, yanking his head back so that he stared helplessly up into Itachi's face.

"I believe this belonged to my father." Itachi stated emotionlessly, fingers sinking into Danzo's eye socket, tearing hoarse screams from the old man.

Like lightning, Itachi tore the orb from Danzo's face, blood gushing out of the fresh wound. The Uchiha prodigy simply crushed the stolen eye in his fist, blankly watching the elder try to rein in his agony.

Shisui sheathed his tanto, releasing Danzo's hair and folding his arms across his chest.

After grinning at the trail of blood leaking from the gaping hole in the old bastard's face, Naruto pulled out a senbon, and a blank piece of sealing paper. Instead of creating a seal after slicing her hand open, Naruto scrawled out a note, walking over to Itachi and handing it to him.

The Uchiha prodigy accepted the note, and Naruto's form was swept away by a silent breeze.

Shisui carelessly sealed Danzo up in a prisoner scroll that he always kept with him, tucking it away into his kunai pouch.

"Shisui, come take a look at this." Itachi murmured, chuckling as he held up Naruto's note.

His best friend did so, smiling as he read it:

_I call dibs as his executioner._

"Honestly, that kid." Shisui snorted.

* * *

"Sarutobi you cursed old man!" Orochimaru hissed, feeling his soul being pulled out of him.

His old sensei smiled at him, blood staining down his chin.

"I will fix the mistake I made so long ago today." The Third promised, ignoring the sword running clean through his middle.

"I will not fall to you!" Orochimaru spat.

"You're right!" A new voice chirped. "You'll be falling to me you pedophellic fucker!"

Orochimaru could do nothing as a red and black blur shot down from above the forest of trees created by the reanimated First Hokage.

Just as the Snake Sannin's head was separated from his shoulders, the snake summons hidden in his robes lunged, tearing into the neck and every other vital part of the body of one Naruto Uzumaki.

Orochimaru couldn't even take pleasure as the girl fell onto her back, venom so potent not even the Kyuubi could stop it from destroying her insides. Snakes feasted on her flesh, tearing out chunks as they squirmed around, hissing and spitting. But soon, Naruto's destructive blood ate through their scales and left them as steaming lumps on the ground.

With one last feeble wheeze, the Third collapsed, sword protruding from his gut.

Naruto choked on a breath as a single snake wormed its way under her mask, and forced itself down her throat. Helplessly, her body spasmed, a sharp pain shooting through her chest before she fell slack, blue-green eyes staring up into nothingness, and vibrant red hair draining to its original sunshine blonde.

The ANBU nearby flashed into the impromptu forest, paling at the sight of the corpses of Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Naruto Uzumaki.

A shuriken shot from between the biggest operative's fingers, killing the snake slithering from under Naruto's mask in an instant. It was too late though...

"Lord Fourth is going to kill us." One of them croaked.

* * *

**"Naruto you colossal fool!"** Kurama roared. **"What have you _done!?_"**

The redhead didn't answer, because she literally felt every one of her major organs failing.

"In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have rushed in like that."

**"Foolish_ foolish_ mortal!"** Kurama bellowed, volatile chakra going wild as he tried to heal and flush the rapidly failing system of his jailor. Though, it was for naught.

Naruto just turned to the bijuu, looking up into his furious maw, and smiled.

"It's not over just yet, you silly fox."

And then, she felt fangs pierce her heart somewhere in the distance, causing it to stutter pitifully, and stop. There was a brief moment of realization, when the redhead comprehended that it wouldn't begin beating again.

Blue-green eyes widened.

"Oh shi-"

The blackness creeping in swallowed Naruto whole.

* * *

**I laughed the entire time I wrote Kabuto's death scene. I think there really is something loose in my head, lol.**


	28. Will Death Do Us Part

**So, yeah, no real action, just plot development and such. Sorry.**

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image.**

* * *

_'What a lame and spontaneous way to die.'_

With that first resonating thought, Naruto jolted awake.

She was lying face down on something that didn't even really feel there. Naruto's body felt real, but at the same time hazy. Dreamlike almost.

With a groan, Naruto rolled onto her back, staring up into the blackness surrounding her, blowing a bright blonde strand out of her face.

_'Wait…'_

"Blonde!?" Naruto shot into a sitting position, taking a fistful of locks hanging in her face, and going cross eyed as she stared at the bright hair presented before her.

And she glimpsed something, an identical face with razor teeth. The blonde remembered something that Harime had once reminded her of:

_"Uzumakis' are proven to have chronic albinism, which is why they have such lightly pigmented eyes and skin. But their hair always comes out red, because of the clan's blood limit. Your hair was blonde, and you have Daddy's eyes, so your hair only became red when you awakened Blood Release."_

Flashes of snakes and Orochimaru's rolling head spilled into Naruto's skull.

"Ah, so I really did die."

**"Not quite."**

Naruto flinched, craning her neck around and going wide at the sight of Kurama lounging on his stomach behind her, vivid red eyes flat and unamused. Was it just Naruto… or did his fur seem darker than the last time she'd seen it?

**"You've cheated death yet again you wretched mortal."**

Naruto turned around fully, crossing her legs beneath her as she stared up into the maw of the Kyuubi.

"Heh heh," Naruto grinned sharply, the expression not lost on Kurama because her mask was absent. "So yeah, I noticed when Harime merged with me again and returned the other half of my soul, she accidently left a single shard of it in my original right eye. I once read in Danzo's forbidden library, that if a single piece of someone's soul remains on the living plain, even if their body dies, they can be brought back without the use of Edo Tensei."

**"I don't know if I should be impressed or annoyed by your resourcefulness."**

Naruto snickered, smiling up at the bijuu.

"Hey, Kurama." The blonde called after a moment.

**"What."**

"Where are we, why am I naked, and why do you seem… darker?"

**"I have no idea where we are. Since I was bonded to you at birth with that cursed seal, when you die, I die. But since You're only part of a soul, you're not exactly dead, so we must be in some sort of in-between." **

"If I was really dead, you'd just reform after a while right?"

**"Correct. But it's such a hassle to do so, so I prefer you not put yourself in situations where you die or nearly die."**

"Hm, whatever. Way too late for that one buddy."

Kurama's lip lifted in a snarl.

"So anyways, next question."

**"You're bare because in death, or almost death in your case, a soul returns to its most natural state. That would be nudity for humans, as you were when you were first born."**

"Hm, makes sense I guess." Naruto muttered.

**"You are taking this rather well."** The fox remarked.

"Trust me, I'll be freaking out once I move past the shock that my crazy ass plan to keep a shard of my soul seperate actually worked."

Kurama snorted.

**"Well, on to the last question."** The fox's maw stretched into a glistening grin. **"If my chakra is split, both of my halves reunite when my container dies."**

"Halves?" Naruto echoed, baffled.

"He means the fact that only his yang half was sealed into you at birth. His yin half was resealed into me before the Death God took my soul."

Naruto flinched at the sudden new voice bouncing off of the black nothingness surrounding her.

Blonde brows furrowed in confusion as Kurama suddenly looked extremely annoyed, and cracked open his large maw.

Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of her head when a slim woman strode right out onto the bijuu's tongue and into her line of sight.

The woman had waist long flaming hair, fair skin, and pretty violet eyes. She was nude, but like Naruto, her long hair covered her modesty.

A tick mark suddenly appeared at the woman's temple.

"As soon as you get your other half you freaking swallow me!?" The woman huffed, completely leaving the fox's mouth. "What the hell is wrong with you dattebane!?"

With a huff, Kurama closed his mouth and rolled his eyes.

Naruto was still gawping because she knew this woman. Well, she'd never met her, but she knew her. The blonde had seen her picture on her father's desk, grinning proudly and showing off her pregnant belly.

"Y-_You!_" Naruto choked, shooting to her feet and pointing rudely.

The woman looked dead into Naruto's eyes, her own violet eyes stern. She threw the blonde for a complete loop when she lunged forward and crushed Naruto into a hug, mouth running a mile a minute.

"Oh my little baby look how big you've grown 'ttebane!" Kushina wailed, furiously squishing and rubbing her cheek against the slack jawed Naruto's.

The blonde tried to gain her bearings as she was suddenly yanked away, held at arm's length as her mother looked at her from head to toe.

"What is this!?" Kushina gasped, holding up one of Naruto's tattooed arms. The blonde could not explain why she felt like a rebellious teen facing the music after being caught sneaking a drink from their parent's alcohol stash.

"Are these seals hidden in art?" Kushina squealed. "That's wicked cool!"

Naruto blinked.

_'What…?'_

She really did not know how to behave around this pleasantly crazy woman.

The blonde's face stretched into a grin.

"How long are you staying?" Naruto found herself asking.

Kushina released her daughter's arm, stepping back to give her a curious look.

"Well, my contract with the Shinigami is up since he's no longer keeping half of the fox sealed for me." The redhead shrugged. "So I can pass on whenever, but I knew if the fox was leaving the Shinigami's stomach and I was free that you had to have died, so I wanted to see you. Oh! And who hurt you 'ttabane!? I'll hit them with this! And this! And then I'll pull their lungs out of their ass!"

Naruto startled out a laugh as her mother briefly began shadow boxing, and then suddenly became calm again.

"Shinigami is the one who brought me here." Kushina said, beginning to pout. "I wanted to just seal the fox back into me after you were born, but that stupid Blondaime Hokage you call a father insisted it wouldn't work."

Naruto's blue-green eyes sharpened as Kurama looked away swiftly, whistling an innocent tune.

"No one ever told me that you were the jinchuuriki of the kyuubi before me." Naruto muttered, glaring at the fox over her mother's shoulder.

Kushina shrugged, suddenly grabbing Naruto's hands and clasping them excitedly between their bodies.

"I'm not crossing over until I know you're safe back in the world of the living, and that may take like, super long y'know?" The older Uzumaki said, grinning. "We should catch up Baby-chan."

Naruto flushed as red as her mother's hair.

"_Mom!_"

Kushina giggled, crushing Naruto back into a hug. "You are so cute my little baby I just can't help myself!"

Naruto unconsciously snuggled into her mother's warmth for the first time.

_'This is the person that motivated me to not rely on hatred…'_ She thought, eyes stinging. _'I… I think I'm gonna like it here.'_

* * *

"_Dammit_ Naruto." Shisui growled, clutching his partner's slack form against his chest. Itachi stood a few feet away, back turned in respect as his friend grieved.

The redhead turned blonde was still slightly warm, but her chest was entirely still, and her blue-green eyes were devoid of any life.

Gritting his teeth, Shisui gently closed Naruto's eyes.

"Itachi," He called.

"Hai?" The Uchiha prodigy returned, shifting his body so he was looking at his best friend.

"Somebody needs to tell Yondaime-sama about the Third and Naruto."

Itachi pursed his lips grimly, nodding in understanding, before his form burst into a flock of silent crows, fleeing skyward.

Shisui sighed, shaking his head at the young teen.

"You little brat…" He murmured, hand lightly stroking her masked cheek. "You never did tell me how tiny that crush of yours was."

The Uchiha relaxed, pulling Naruto's back to his front and tucking her head under his chin as he held her.

"God damnit Naruto…" Shisui whispered helplessly.

Both of his mangekyou sharingan weeped tears of blood.

* * *

A swarm of crows dispersed from their close knit flight, expertly dodging a large black spike from below a few minutes later.

The dark birds swooped down, black wings flapping as they merged together, forming a lithe, crouched male form atop a civilian's home.

Itachi's sharingan spun slowly within his ruby irises, taking in everything before him, ears tuned to the surrounding ending of battle, and what may be lurking around to harm him.

Something inched onto the side of the roof he was on, and slowly, as the black substance spilled more fully into his keen line of sight, the Uchiha rose to his feet.

"What… are you?"

"Awww 'Tachi-chan, don't you recognize my killer smile?" A familiar voice drawled, razor teeth glistening in the evening sunlight as the creature beamed.

The Uchiha prodigy's eyes narrowed, recognizing Naruto's bored tone.

"What are you?" The raven asked again, hand inching over his shoulder, to the handle of the katana there.

"That doesn't really matter." The creature said, tone serious, glowing red eyes boring into Itachi's stoic face. "What matters, is the news of Naru-chan's nap time not getting out."

Itachi's red eyes widened, and he blurred to the left, narrowly dodging the black spike that had snuck up from his right, stemming from his own shadow and the feet of the creature standing across from him.

Though, he miscalculated, as he was quickly seized by a pair of large black hands. They easily engulfed him, causing him to lose his sight in thick darkness.

"Don't be alarmed, I won't hurt ya." Naruto's voice became cheerful and childish, no longer the sarcastic drawl he recognized, "You're just gonna forget about finding Naru-chan."

Itachi gritted his teeth.

_'I couldn't predict its movements with the sharingan… what… just what in the world is that thing?'_ Itachi thought, feeling something pressed against the back of his neck, at the base of his skull. He recognized the memory eating seal being placed on him.

One of Danzo's favorites.

* * *

"Who is that?" Shisui demanded.

"It's just me."

The Uchiha looked up in question, watching Karin step out from behind a cluster of trees, left behind from the Third's battle with Orochimaru.

The crimson eyed teen took a step towards the Uchiha and the blonde in his arms, flinching when Shisui's mangekyou spun threateningly.

"Stay where you are."

"B-but… that's Naruto, isn't it?" Karin asked, intimidated by Shisui's uncharacteristically cold expression. "H-Harme told me to… she just showed up at Naruto's house a few minutes ago, and told me to come here. She told me to get Naruto-chan."

Shisui's eyes narrowed. "Harime?"

"Y-yeah." The Uzumaki confirmed, hands clasped nervously before her chest, staring at Naruto's slumped form with obvious worry.

"I thought you merged with Naruto, Harime." The Uchiha said.

Karin flinched as a familiar dark chuckle resonated throughout the trees.

"Looks like you got me 'Sui-kun." A cheerful voice chirped, dark pigtailed form rising up from the shadow Naruto hadn't had a moment before.

"Leave it to you to notice such a small detail 'Sui-kun."

"How are you still here?" Shisui demanded, standing in an instant, and putting distance between himself and the two intruders, Naruto still slumped in his arms.

"You mean how am I sentient even after I gave back the rest of Naru-chan's soul?" The dark specter asked, raising fully from the shadows, drill-like tails swirling and ruffling to a nonexistent breeze.

"Well, even I don't know that." Harime said honestly, still managing to use her cutesie tone. "It's just some inexplicable anomaly you see? Though, I've got a will of my own, so maybe that has something to do with it? Hmmm~ who knows? Hey, you know what 'Sui-kun?"

Shisui just scowled, annoyed at how much he knew this creature. This was the thing that used to wear Naruto's face on missions. This was the thing that had made it so hard for Shisui to understand his partner. The thing that made him… fear her.

"I don't have a soul," Harime said in a stage whisper, before perking up, lower face curving into a large jagged grin. "So it would make sense that death can't touch me."

"What do you want?" Shisui asked, pulling Naruto closer to him when Karin finally inserted herself back into the conversation, simply pointing at the Uchiha's partner.

"You can't have her." Shisui said seriously, expression grim. "Itachi's gone to get Yondaime-sama. He will take her."

"Oh~?" Harime sang. "Tachi-chan you say?"

Shisui's blood ran cold. "What did you do to him?" He demanded.

Harime giggled.

"I didn't hurt Tachi-chan, I swear. He's gone off to check on the Genin and civilians. But, I will say nobody's tellin' Daddy a thing about Naru-chan."

"Karin, if you please~?"

The redhead nodded, pulling out a small glass bottle full of blood, throwing it onto the ground and shattering it, sending a splash of red across the vine swarmed roof tiles. A moment later, Karin was flashing through hand seals, seals that Shisui's eyes automatically recognized.

_'Harime must've taught her that technique, just like she did the Third's grandson.'_ The Uchiha thought.

"**Fuuinjutsu Style Coffin Summoning**." Karin muttered, crouching and slamming her palm flat onto the blood on the roof.

The redhead stepped back, pushing her glasses further up her nose as runes stretched out from the center of the blood, igniting into blue flames, that revealed a familiar cherry red oakwood coffin.

The coffin Konohamaru had once sealed Naruto in after the return from Wave stood tall across from the Uchiha.

"I'm not giving her to you." Shisui said stubbornly. "Knowing you, you'll probably do something to try and bring her back."

"Bring her back?" Harime echoed.

"She's not really gone." Karin interjected, hand dipping into the pouch around her waist, pulling out a jar.

Even from the distance he had on the redhead and Harime, he could clearly make out a familiar blue-green eye.

"Where… where did you get that?" The Uchiha breathed.

Not for a second did Harime stop grinning as she answered him. "Who cares? That's what's going to help Naru-chan wake up from her sleepy-time. But before that day, I've gotta tie up loose ends. So give me my Naru-chan's body, or Daddy's gonna have to add a new name to the memorial stone."

Karin tucked the jar with Naruto's eye in it back into her pouch, making herself useful by unlatching the coffin standing upright beside her, pushing the lid open, revealing the swirling void of darkness within.

Shisui pursed his lips, shifting Naruto in his arms, her legs dangling over his arm, the other wrapped around her back.

"I don't give a damn what you are anymore, Harime." Shisui spoke up, slowly approaching the shadowed being. "I'm not afraid of you. Naruto wasn't the only one who studied fuuinjutsu, so if I really wanted to, I could seal your evil ass away before you could even get that blade to poke me."

The shadow spike slowly inching to pierce Shisui's heart from behind paused.

The Uchiha gave the pigtailed apparition a flat look.

"You're a fragment of Naruto. And I'm stronger than Naruto, meaning I'm stronger than you. Plus, I've worked beside you and Naruto for years. I know your every whim." The Uchiha declared. "You can't get the drop on me like you probably did Itachi."

Harime's already impossible grin curled at the ends, reaching the corners of her sinisterly glowing eyes.

"Come now Shisui," She drawled, mouth moving oddly as her smile didn't go away. "I wasn't going to actually try and kill you."

"Whatever." The Uchiha said, staring unflinchingly into her despicable grinning face. "Naruto called dibs as Danzo's executioner, so you better fix this mess."

The Uchiha hated the idea of lying to his village. To his Hokage, and Itachi, his best friend, but he would bear the knowledge that he betrayed both Minato's and Itachi's trust if it meant Naruto would be okay.

Harime's eyes turned into slits as her massive grin widened, her cheerful voice somehow conveying the absolutely curdling mood she was in.

"It's humans like you that make it so easy to hate humanity." Harime said, pulling Naruto gently from Shisui's arms and into her own. "Ordering me around like I actually give a fuck about your threats. You stupid fucking meatbag, I'd chop you into pieces and feed you to your entire family if I knew Naru-chan wouldn't hate me for it. That is the _only_ thing that protects you."

Harime turned around, gliding over to the open coffin Karin had summoned for her blonde creator. Said bespectacled Uzumaki was shivering uncontrollably, the killing intent Harime was poisoning the air with making her knees feel helplessly weak.

Shisui simply narrowed his eyes into a glare at Harime's back, not intimidated, but appalled by her-no,_ its_ bloodthirsty and hateful aura.

The specter stopped just as she reached the open coffin, her head turning all the way around with no resistance as she stared directly into Shisui's eyes.

"Itachi, nor the ANBU stationed here will remember that Naruto was here. You would do well to go along with it, 'Sui-kun." Harime said, her voice was again innocent and cheerful, untainted by hatred.

The Uchiha simply nodded, watching with an indifferent expression as Harime disappeared into the coffin's darkness, glowing red eyes unblinking as they bored into his own.

They stared at eachother until Harime was no longer visible.

Shisui allowed himself to blink when Karin pushed the coffin's lid closed, and it sank into the ground.

The crimson eyed girl shakily pulled out a handkerchief, clearing up the blood and glass bits left behind, erasing the traces that anyone other than the Third and Orochimaru had been shedding blood in the area.

Karin tucked the soiled cloth into the folds of her kimono top, looking over to Shisui helplessly.

She smiled weakly, and gave him a small shrug.

"Naruto left a job to me." Karin said. "I'll bring her back."

With that, she fled into the trees, away from Shisui's cold gaze.

Sensing no one near, the Uchiha sighed, running a stressed hand through his raven curls.

"What a day."

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

* * *

Sasuke stood at the bridge where he usually met his team for training. But it was Team Seven's day off, and Sakura had volunteered to help Ino restock shelves at the Yamanaka flower shop.

Kakashi-sensei was doing Kami knows what, and Naruto…

Naruto was still nowhere to be found.

After a week of searching for the unhinged redhead, their Academy peers had given up, and the Yondaime had declared her missing in action.

She was presumed dead, but until they found traces of her demise, she would not be added to the memorial stone.

The Third Hokage was dead, but had managed to cut off Orochimaru's head, dragging the traitorous snake into his grave with him.

The entire village was still grieving the wise old man's loss, and everytime Sasuke saw his little grandson at the man's personal memorial stone, he'd been scowling.

Sasuke remembered something Naruto had said to the boy.

_"Don't worry so much… I can't die before you steal the Fourth's hat, can I?"_

_"I guess you could say he's my student."_

_'That's it, isn't it?'_ Sasuke thought, chin cradled in his palm, elbow resting on the side of the bridge as he stared out over the lake below him, the afternoon sunlight causing its clear surface to glitter beautifully._ 'He loved you like family, and now you're gone. On top of that, his grandfather is dead. He must be so angry he didn't do anything to help save you. He must hate that he knows he couldn't have done anything.'_

"I never saw your eyes smile so honestly before I saw you with that kid." Sasuke mumbled aloud. "I wonder…"

_'If I had known you better, how would I feel about you being dead?'_

Sasuke's free hand unconsciously drifted to the seal hidden under his high blue collar. The seal that protected him from Orochimaru's curse.

The one that looked like the sun.

_'I'm not sure if you're dead, and I don't know if we could've been friends, but I do know you taught me a few things since we became teammates.'_

The Uchiha snorted under his breath, the left corner of his mouth lifting ever so slightly.

_"Killing. Torture. Lying. Sneaking. Backstabbing. Such are the ways of the shinobi."_

_"I am a shinobi."_ Naruto had said. _"Expect these things from me. And be capable of doing them yourself."_

Sasuke shook his head, small smirk twitching into a bleak smile.

"You're such a psycho, Naruto." He murmured. "There's no way you're dead."

* * *

Honestly, Sakura was a little down in the dumps about Naruto dropping off the face of the earth.

To be honest, Sakura had actually found herself liking Naruto somewhat. They'd been steadily forming a grudging friendship built on sarcastic banter and rude insults to each other's person. Naruto was so witty, and arguing with her was more fun than picking at Ino.

To Sakura's horror, she realized that she actually missed Naruto.

"Oh good Kami her crazy is contagious." The pinkette muttered, picking up a potted handful of sunflowers and shelving them neatly.

Not only was Naruto unhinged, but she was utterly remarkable. Sakura supposed that was why she was somewhat drawn to the girl. If the pinkette was honest, she admired Naruto's strength, and wanted to be more like her. She'd seen the redhead get torn apart and come back from that good as new. Stronger. Probably crazier too.

The pinkette giggled quietly at the thought, shelving a large potted plant on the very last rack on one of the shelves far into the Yamanaka flower shop.

Naruto had kind of created a reputation for herself as someone who could disappear, and return as if she'd only been gone a moment.

Who's to say the redhead wasn't sleeping in one of the coffins she seemed so fond of?

The pinkette had asked Konohamaru about the redhead, but the little boy honestly kind of creeped her out. He was scowling every time she saw him, and that wasn't much, unless he was staring thunderously at his grandfather's memorial stone.

The boy had ignored Sakura when she questioned him about Naruto's whereabouts, simply walking away whenever the redhead was brought up.

Once, last week, Sakura had grown tired of the boy's bad attitude, and punched the top of his head.

The little brat had pulled a knife on her, and smiled. He'd taking to wearing a zipper mask identical to Naruto's, the goggles Sakura recognized Naruto had worn in the Academy sitting atop his unruly brown hair.

His eyes had crinkled in the same sinister way Naruto's did when she smiled at inappropriate intervals.

And Sakura knew then, without a doubt, that Naruto really _had_ taught the boy a thing or two.

And with her disappearance, he'd cracked a little bit.

He was channeling Naruto's personality, warding off anyone who approached him in his grief.

It was his way of mourning, behaving in a similar manner as his sister figure.

Though, Naruto had never scowled as much as Konohamaru had taken to doing.

With a tired sigh, Sakura moved back over to the cart beside her, picking up a small pot of aloe vera, standing on her tiptoes to put it away.

_'I hope you come home soon, Naruto.'_

* * *

With all the repairs going into the village, and the missions being assigned to earn money to pay for them, Minato hadn't had much time to dwell on his daughter's disappearance.

He was worried, oh Kami was he worried, but he had a village to look after, and he couldn't afford to let himself be distracted.

Though, with his daughter gone, the blonde man had changed.

He was almost cold.

He'd called for Tsunade, demanding she return and help with Lee's critical state, threatening to declare her a missing nin if she didn't bring her drunk ass back home to help the boy.

The blonde also had the Slug Sannin begin her once rejected medical nin program. Young Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and Hinata Hyuga were already enrolled into the program. Even Karin, the Uzumaki presumed dead, and practically given to Leaf from Grass was apart of the program.

Kabuto Yakushi's mutilated body had been recovered, so, Tsunade was currently pulling secrets from said corpse, but for some odd reason, no one had been able to find his brain. It was just… gone. Even without it though, there was much to learn from his remains. Three bodies of Sound Four had also been recovered, and unsurprisingly they were all results from Orochimaru's experiments. The medical research department were having a field day with the poor kids' remains. So, Konoha had gained quite a bit of intel in those regards.

Things were looking up.

Unfortunately, his good friend Sarutobi was dead. Though, Hiruzen had taken his treacherous student along with him. Along with Orochimaru's demise, went a new alliance with Kirigakure, the Mizukage apparently having taken a liking to Naruto, and asked for updates on her fellow redhead's whereabouts regularly.

It was also revealed that Rasa, the third Kazekage had never wanted to raid Konoha, and agreed to an alliance with Sound simply for the military power. Unfortunately, he was betrayed, killed by the Snake Sannin before the plans of the invasion came about. Orochimaru took the face of Rasa, and used it to lead Suna into an invasion on Konoha.

Suna was currently under investigation, and the Yondaime agreed to not declare the desert village as an enemy for the time being. So yes, Minato had things to be proud and glad for, but he still had to do something about Danzo. The blonde wanted to just hang the fucking bastard from the village gates, but his Jounin commander, Shikaku Nara, had reminded him he needed concrete evidence of treason to even think about killing Danzo.

Shikaku reasoned that the shinobi council could argue Danzo had done what was best for the village by "taming the Jinchuriki" in Konoha's favor. So, Shikaku advised Minato to gather more information, despite the fact that everyone above Tokubetsu Jounin outside of the T&amp;I department knew Danzo had stolen Fugaku's sharingan. Not to mention the abomination the old bastard called a right arm. It was implanted with ten stolen sharingan that Danzo reported destroyed during the Uchiha purge so many years ago.

You better believe Minato enjoyed "confiscating" that cursed limb from the old man.

With those atrocities alone, the warhawk was rotting away in a cell at ANBU HQ, becoming Ibiki's favorite prisoner.

The scarred interrogation expert had pulled quite a few interesting things out of the old man.

He had an entire library of stolen forbidden jutsu, but the old man was too strong willed to say where it was hidden. He'd also admitted to breaking Naruto's mind, crafting her into the perfect killing machine, knowing that he was required to get the Hokage's approval before training someone for the ROOT program. After that, Minato had every spare ninja above Chunin looking for the library when he could afford to have them doing so.

Danzo also admitted that he'd known all along about the invasion, telling that he'd hoped Hiruzen would die, so that he could take his former peer's place, the second closest spot to Minato's seat as Hokage. Once Minato began to trust Danzo, he would make his move and kill Minato, stealing his hat with the approval of his avid supporter, the Fire Daimyo.

Minato knew there was no way Danzo could get out of an execution with the information he'd sung out to Ibiki, and he'd scheduled for his death at the end of the week. It was Thursday.

_'Let Ibiki have a bit more fun with him.'_ The blonde thought spitefully.

In a few hours, Minato would call a council meeting, informing them of Danzo's inevitable demise.

For the first time in two weeks, Minato smiled.

* * *

Danzo coughed weakly, red speckling his thin, dry, and cracked lips.

His entire body was covered in small seeping wounds, likened to papercuts, and it was absolutely excruciating. The old man was also aware that he had an absence of finger and toenails. And it only got worse in terms of his physical condition. His chakra was entirely sealed off, his nail-less fingers broken beyond recognition to keep him from using hand signs, in case he did manage to use chakra after some absurd miracle. Even worse, he couldn't use hand signs even if his chakra was unsealed and he could bear the agony of his broken fingers.

He only had one hand.

His right arm was nothing but a pitiful stump wrapped in bandages, torn from him by The Fourth Hokage himself.

Thinking of how he trained his agents while he was locked in a dark mildew crawling cell, Danzo almost pitied them.

Almost.

He knew his pain only made him delusional, that he had done what was necessary to give his home the weapons it needed in order to stay at the top.

Minato was a fool, and after Danzo was dead (because he was not so delusional he thought he wouldn't be punished for his "crimes"), the blonde imbecile would realize how much he needed Danzo and his troops. He would realize how weak Konoha was without ROOT, and Minato would have to live with the fact that Konoha had grown so weak because he had believed in Hiruzen. In That damn First Hokage's teachings.

_'Konoha will fall, and no one will be to blame but you two fools.'_ Danzo thought. _'Curse you Hiruzen, and that blasted blonde successor of yours.'_

Suddenly, there was an odd gurgling sound, and then a muted thump a moment later. Both noises startled the injured old man out of his muddled, yet spiteful musings.

Danzo's remaining slit eye opened, and he peered into the thick darkness surrounding his cell. He could just make out the collapsed outline of the man assigned to guard him.

But the warhawk knew outside of the brick room holding his cell, there was a whole squad of ANBU level ninja, and to make it to him, you had to go through them before reaching the probably dead man guarding him.

_'Who is powerful enough to dispatch a whole squad of ANBU with no sound of a struggle and an ANBU captain?'_ The captain being the man assigned to personally guard him.

"Who's that?" Danzo rasped, tasting his own blood on his tongue.

"I will tell you nothing until you pledge to aid me."

Danzo didn't recognize the young yet deep voice coming from the shadows across from him.

The old man snorted, unintentionally spitting blood onto his chin.

"Do you take me for some sort of fool?" The warhawk asked. "You think I would promise anything to someone I know nothing about?"

"What if that someone could insure you would become Hokage?" The masculine voice returned.

Danzo struggled from his slumped position against his cell wall, opened eye narrowing as he peered into the darkness, just making out the form of a young man of average height.

"And how could a young man such as yourself insure such a thing?" Danzo asked carefully.

"I cannot, but the person you help me bring back could."

Danzo's cracked lips pursed.

If he did manage to escape his prison, he'd have to live his days on the run, nothing more than a traitorous missing nin.

But…

If he could see Minato suffer after his cursed Uchiha subordinates humiliated him? Well…being Hokage? At this point, that was just the icing on the cake.

"Who are you, boy?" Danzo asked, unable to keep himself from smirking slightly.

The boy said no more, both of them already knowing Danzo's decision. There was a moment of silence, and Danzo sensed a small flare of chakra coming from the hidden boy's direction.

The warhawk blinked at the curved rod that launched itself into his cell, burying into the sturdy slick stone before Danzo's beaten form.

The old man's single eye widened as he recognized the projectile that was lodged into the floor of his cell. It was a human ulna, its milky white surface glistening in the near lightless surroundings of his prison.

Dangling atop the bone, was a ring.

Attached to the ring, was a single key.

Wrinkled and bruised face stretching into a hideous grin, Danzo reached for the key.

He had some business to attend to.

* * *

Harime grinned from her place in the shadows.

She had been monitoring Danzo's prison on and off since she'd been summoned within Naruto's coffin and into The Underground by Karin a day after retrieving the body of her creator.

The shadow being knew Naruto and Shisui had planned to betray Danzo and reveal his treasonous acts in a matter of time, but the old sag bag had jumped into his own grave showing his stolen sharingan out in the open.

Now here was this young man freeing the saggy bag of skin from his prison, planning to revive his master.

Harime recognized the curse seal on the side of the topless boy's neck.

She also knew his kind, the telling dots on his forehead revealing his specific abilities to the dark specter.

"A Kaguya…" She hissed, grin stretching wide as she watched the boy carelessly toss Danzo over his shoulder and take off running, an alarm blaring overhead.

The shadow made no move to interfere, the magnitude of her darkness just couldn't pass up the opportunity to watch Danzo suffer. As the Kaguya fled with Naruto's old tormentor, a plan was already forming in her dark mind. She tipped her head back, swallowing the empty syringe in her clawed hand. It was a very special syringe, now empty of Naruto's blood. And Danzo was none the wiser, because he'd been asleep when Harime had paid his cell a little visit.

"Run run run little sag bag." Harime sang, knowing the old man was complaining about the rough treatment in his pitiful state. "I'll get you Danzo. I'll let your hope grow. And when you think you've won, I'll crush you. Or... maybe cause you to implode from the inside out. Hm~? There's so many fun choices for you my friend."

Harime laughed to herself, form seeping into the shadows.

* * *

"He what?"

The ANBU standing before the Yondaime gulped audibly, using every trick he knew to keep himself from trembling under his Kage's murderous glare.

"Danzo… he... he escaped, Hokage-sama." The man nearly squeaked.

The council, who were gawking at the terrified informant blinked, having just been informed that their colleague was due for execution, and now they were being told he'd escaped?

Minato breathed heavily through his nose, and carefully folded his hands before his face, elbows on his desk as his eyes sliced into his masked subordinate.

"Retrieve Shisui and Itachi Uchiha." Minato ordered coldly. "He couldn't have gotten far."

"Y-yes sir!" The ANBU saluted, eager to get away from his boss.

"Oh, and Beagle-san?" The blonde called after the fleeing agent.

"Yes sir?"

"After you return to explain to me how a one armed, one eyed,_ and_ chaka sealed well over sixty year old man escaped a prison in the _ANBU_ HQ, from that point on, don't you dare show me the face beneath that mask."

The threat to mutilate said face remained unspoken, nevertheless, the entire room heard it, and shivered at the ruthless cutting look the Yondaime was giving his subordinate.

The ANBU swallowed again, and nodded, words failing him as he saluted one last time and escaped through the window to carry out his orders.

Minato's glacial blue eyes sliced into the room's remaining occupants.

"Well?" He drawled dangerously. "What are you all still doing here? Inform all able bodied ninja Konoha's just identified a traitor."

Everyone scrambled to follow the deceptively calm order, none wanting to be left in the room with the quietly livid Hokage.

Once alone, Minato tutted, swiveling around in his chair to face the wall sized window overlooking his steadily repaired village.

"Traitors are like cockroaches." He muttered. "Step on one and more come spilling out of the walls."

Minato's face darkened as he thought about what he would do once he'd got his hands back on Danzo.

"I'll do more then hang your old ass from the village gates." He promised. "You'll curse the day you were born when I find you."

* * *

Unfortunately, after a month of searching and sending scouts out for Danzo, Konoha could find not a hair left behind by the man.

The ANBU had almost all been demoted to Genin, but seeing the thunderous look in Minato's eyes, Shikaku had talked the blonde man out of anything rash.

In informing the village that Danzo was officially a traitor, it slipped that the handful of Uchiha years ago were not killed by jealous traitors, but that they were assassinated, by none other than Danzo's ROOT.

Sasuke had refused to talk to Itachi, Shisui, and even his own mother for three weeks when he found out that they'd known all along that his father was a traitor and was planning a coup and that's why he was killed.

Hell, it seemed everyone but Sasuke had known.

Orochimaru had offered to tell him who was responsible for the murder of his father, and the truth behind it if he went away with him.

Of course there was no way Sasuke was going to betray the village and follow in his father's footsteps, as well as Danzo's.

Besides, Orochimaru was dead, so the young Uchiha would just have to find another way to get power.

And he would get power.

He was one of the many people that wanted Danzo's head on a pike. Even if his dad was a traitor, he was still his father, and he'd had the clan's best interest at heart, nothing to deserve being carved up like a thanksgiving turkey.

The young Uchiha shook his head, going back to painting the fence he'd helped rebuild for the old lady that ran a grocery store.

Sasuke would get stronger, and prove to his brother, and the rest of his family that he didn't need to be protected. That he was reliable. A true shinobi, like that crazy ass redheaded teammate of his.

Sasuke smirked, dipping his paint brush back into his bucket, ignoring the way Sakura squealed in delight at the unexpected pleased expression on his face. Kakashi 'maa'ed' and told Sakura to kindly shut up and get back to work. Which she did, after a bit of pouting.

For now, Sasuke would help fix up his village.

Ripping out Danzo's tongue could wait until later.

* * *

**Four Months Later**

* * *

Harime returned from a self appointed mission, opening her razor maw wide, reaching deep into the dark abyss and pulled out a rather large old jam jar.

Karin startled at the apparition's sudden appearance, looking up from her hunched position over her patient, whose foul mouth was gagged and their body was tied down, kept there by heavy prisoner seals.

"Ta-daaah~!" Harime chirped, spinning around and cheerfully showing the jar to Karin.

Said redhead gawked.

"You got it!"

"Takigakure is surprisingly lax in its security." Harime said, giggling. "I only had to rip two guys limb from limb to get this little treasure."

Karin ignored the muffled cursing and spitting of her patient, whose hair had gone completely white after being injected with Naruto's blood, revived time and time again by the budding medical genius that was Karin when she flatlined.

"Ripped limb from limb you say?" Karin questioned flatly, having long ago gotten over Harime's vicious bloodlust. "Well, at least you got it. Now we can go into phase two, 'cause I finished phase one last week. The subject's body has accepted the Uzumaki DNA implanted in her."

"That's great news Karin!" Harime cheered, glowing orbs arching into honestly happy crescents. "You're a genius, no wonder Naru-chan took such a liking to you!"

The crimson eyed girl blushed at the praise, unmoved by the fact that she'd basically tortured the subject to get positive results, so much so that the stress of the process gave the subject Mary Antoinette's Syndrome.

Its was a good thing Harime sealed away the part of her brain that allowed her to feel remorse for people she was doing her work on.

If Karin harmed someone outside of her work, she'd feel bad because that was her nature, she wasn't evil or anything, but Harime was tired of Karin shaking after experiments, and the spontaneous bursting into tears, so she just sealed away the empathy Karin felt for people she was required to harm. The bespectacled girl knew it was wrong, but with the seal, she honestly didn't even care anymore.

Even better, Harime had also retrieved Kabuto's brain for the redhead, and good _Kami_ was the boy's brain a forbidden medical treasure trove. The shadow taught Karin a forbidden jutsu that allowed the user to pull information from deceased brains, so, all of Kabuto's knowledge became Karin's knowledge, and _man_ was the redhead having a field day with all of his skills.

"Here ya go~"

The dark specter handed Karin the jar full of the thing she'd retrieved from Taki, and the redhead carefully cradled it, lifting it up to peer through the glass and at its contents.

The jar was full of squirming black tendrils, tangling around themselves, blindly searching for an escape.

"They really are alive, aren't they?" Karin breathed, fascinated.

"If you wanna know more about them, I stole a scroll on how they work." Harime offered, once again reaching into her mouth, arm disappearing beyond her elbow before retracting, clawed hand wrapped around a jet black scroll lined with brown borders.

The kanji across the scroll simply read Jiongu.

Earth Grudge Fear.

Karin accepted the scroll from the pigtailed being with a silent nod of thanks, tucking it into her lab coat pocket.

"Oooh~ Before I forget to mention it, I caught a cute little firefly in Taki."

"Huh?" Karin questioned, crimson brows furrowing in confusion.

"Well, you see Karin, while I was leaving Taki I ran into a firefly, and she had the same look my Naru-chan does in her eyes." Harime explained. "I asked the firefly if she wanted to fly free, and guess what?"

"She agreed?" Karin asked, bottom lip jutting out in a confused pout. "I don't get it, is the firefly a person or something?"

"Yeah, she came with me." Harime nodded grinning. "She'll be a good friend for my Naruto when she wakes up."

Now Karin's eyebrows were raised in interest.

"So this _is_ a person?" The Uzumaki asked. "Wow, I don't think Taki will be too happy to find someone stole their prized Kinjutsu _and_ one of their citizens."

Harime's glowing eyes arched into dishonest crescents as she smiled largely.

"Didn't I tell you the firefly has the same eyes as my Naru?" The specter snickered. "Trust me, she won't be missed much. Everybody will think she's dead, 'cause I helped fake her death. And we both know I'm a master of lies. It was a quite creative suicide involving a large explosion, some of her hair, and part of the clothes she was wearing. She's actually flying around the living room right now. 'Gumo-chan is keeping an eye on her for me."

"And this "firefly" of yours just agreed to come along with a suspicious looking creature like you?" Karin snorted, eyeing the shadow up and down skeptically.

"Well, I did talk up how coming with me would be a big adventure." The shadow admitted. "She's a cheerful one, loves causing trouble and a good fight."

"Sounds fun." Karin returned, startling Harime for a moment when she flashed an uncannily familiar wicked grin.

"Hm, yes." The shadow mumbled thoughtfully. "The future will surely be fun packed…"

Karin studied Naruto's dark creation for a long moment, before she shrugged, simply putting the subject aside for another time as she watched an invisible switch flip and Harime's thoughtful demeanor light up in childish glee.

"Harime-chan, can you get me a scalpel?"

"Why of course~" She giggled in return.

The previously ignored subject began squirming, dark eyes wide in terror, her bare form covered in small puncture wounds where she'd been injected with Naruto's acidic blood. Her face was also the mirror image of the deceased Uzumaki, her bone structure having been forcefully altered by one of the Kinjutsu Karin had pulled from Kabuto's preserved brain. The only difference was her dark brown eyes and whiskerless cheeks. Though, the eye color problem could easily be solved. And if Naruto was really bothered, she could just get whisker tattoos later on.

"Tayuya-chan~" Harime sang, slipping a scalpel into the waiting hand of a blank faced Karin. "It's time to go to sleep."

The former Sound nin began inching across the lab table she was strapped to, pointlessly trying to get away. Months alone with either Karin, Harime, or Kami forbid _both of them_, had broken the former pinkett's will.

Now the girl jumped at anything that moved, even though she tried to make herself feel better by periodically cursing her tormentors out.

"After she's bonded with the threads, you'll begin training her body, right?" Karin asked, doing a simple sleeping jutsu to put the subject asleep.

Tayuya slumped, helpless tears clinging to her lashes.

"Yup yup!" Harime chirped, watching eagerly as Karin expertly flipped her scalpel around in her hand, moving to make the first incision in Tayuya's abdomen. "She will be super duper powerful when I'm done!"

"I can't wait to see the fruits of our labor." Karin muttered, crimson eyes focused on her task.

"Naru-chan's old body will be a gift to a certain someone." Harime said, giggling as blood spilled around Karin's blade, pale, sickly skin parting under the calculated cut.

"And this right here…" Karin continued for the specter. "This will become the new body of Naruto."

"Long live Naru!" Harime exclaimed, dancing around and jumping up and down in childish glee, celebrating Karin's gruesome work.

"Yeah…" Karin murmured, peeling a large flap of skin away from Tayuya's stomach, revealing her entrails to the flickering light of The Gallows.

A small smile twitched at the corners of Karin's mouth, even as her face was speckled with blood.

"You're right. Long live Naruto."

* * *

**Don't flame me about Tayuya. I like her too, but sometimes in fanfiction, people have to die.**

**Ja~**


	29. Inside Out

**I love how you guys are just like "this is fucked up", as if it won't get worse. XD**

**Beware, for some blood's a spillin' in this chapter.**

**But seriously though, it's messed up.**

**Shout out to Kitty Kat Vixen. I see you've been stalking my stories, and I want to say I am nothing but flattered. Thank you for your kind words, they made me more happy than gory zombie fun.**

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image.**

* * *

"Hm~?" Harime hummed to herself. "I wonder if I can make clones?"

The shadow being was lounging comfortably underneath Naruto's bed. "I wanna be in two places at once."

"I heard an interesting rumor while traveling to Taki for their Kinjutsu." She continued to muse aloud. "There's a little future peeper in The Land of Demons I want to meet."

"Ah, but Konoha's having trouble with the little Genjutsu girl on the mountain." Harime pouted, twisting around to lie on her side in the utter darkness under Naruto's bed. "Maybe I should go make a new friend after the Genin clean up the mess~? Hehe, a new friend for my Naru-chan~"

The shadow being rolled onto her stomach, and scuttled from under the bed on all fours.

Once free, she stood up, bringing her hands before her chest to perform the kage bunshin jutsu.

She summoned her chakra, but instead of a poof of smoke, Harime yelped, skull splitting down the middle, peeling away with stretching black tendrils that pulled taut before they snapped, leaving her entire form completely in half. Her other half flailed about, wriggling strands where it'd been torn from her swelling, before they burst, contorting mass forming a new body.

The original Harime regenerated just the same, and her glowing eyes gawped at the identical pair peering into her own.

"You're me!" Harime exclaimed, pointing a clawed finger rudely into her copy's face.

"And you're me!" The copy said.

There was a long moment of silence as the two specters studied one another blankly.

Slowly, both of their mouths stretched into glistening grins.

"Hehe~ You know where I'll be?" The copy snickered, grin widening.

Harime mirrored the impossible expression. "In The Land of Demons?"

"Yup yup!" The copy chirped. "Here I come little future peeper..."

"Ah ha ha~!" Harime cackled, watching her copy sink down into the floor. "Have fun me!"

"Hai hai~" Her copy sang. "Bye bye me!"

"Bye bye!" The specter cackled, waving excitedly.

Once her copy was gone, Harime's glowing eyes crinkled into silts, and her grin curled at the ends.

"I think I'll go help Karin-chan out in The Gallows." She said, as if she didn't just discover she could multiply like infectious bacteria. "After that, I'll go pay the Genjutsu girl a visit~"

* * *

**A While Later**

* * *

A hoarse scream ripped through Tayuya's blood clogged throat.

Black threads were spilling out of her ears, nose, and eyes, where they had forced themselves through brutally, tearing the white haired girl from her jutsu induced slumber.

"Her face!" Harime roared, startling Karin as she lacked any trace of her usual childish lilt. "That's my Naru-chan's new face! Save it!"

Immediately, Karin understood, but before she could move to carry out the shadows indirect order, a huge pillar of threads spilled out of Tayuya's screeching mouth, slamming into the Uzumaki's middle, sending her flying all the way across The Gallows, pinning her to the perceptually locked door.

Karin grunted in pain as her head thunked against the hard oak door, and she would have slumped down, but the threads had her completely off of her feet, back pressed painfully against the door.

"You're not gonna ruin everything you useless bloodbag." Harime growled, left hand swelling to a monstrous claw that she used to grasp the threads pinning Karin.

Tayuya writhed in pain, the threads spilling out of her bleeding orifices wriggling around like newborn maggots. Harime began using her claw to pull the threads away from the Uzumaki, but they were a strong force, and wrestled with her, attempting to crush the young medical nin.

Karin gasped as the threads pressed her more aggressively, and she felt as if her organs would burst.

With a great effort, she activated a modified chakra scalpel, something Kabuto had been working on before he died, which Karin had taken the liberty of finishing once absorbing his brain's knowledge. Instead of a healthy and inviting green, Karin's hand glowed a dangerous radioactive purple. Using the glowing chakra arrowhead surrounding her right palm, Karin sliced through the thick threads.

With no resistance at all, the redhead was free, and the threads hissed, swelling before they began crumbling away to dust, falling to the floor with forced decay.

Karin wasn't very creative, so she simply called it the Dead Hand.

The redhead pushed her glasses further up her slim nose, watching in curiosity as her new jutsu killed the threads, only half aware of Harime yanking the rest of the threads back over to her, literally shoving them into Tayuya's gaping mouth.

"Karin, get over here _now_." Harime growled, making the girl shiver.

Scurrying over, the redhead made her way to Tayuya, who had ripped herself free from her restraints.

Harime had the white haired Oto nin in a shadow binding jutsu, but she was fighting against the dark arms strangling her so fiercely, that she was quaking visibly in defiance.

"I managed to shove those damn threads back into her body, but just in case I need you to make sure her face isn't damaged."

"Of course," Karin agreed whole heartedly, once again pushing up her glasses before reaching into her blood splotched lab coat pocket. She withdrew a clean scalpel, making her way over to the trembling Tayuya.

Harime's Shadow Strangulation jutsu was slowly receding, little three fingered hands slipping slowly away from Tayuya's body as she fought her restraints.

Tayuya was in an odd half sitting half lying position atop her lab table, the IV in her arm and tubes keeping her alive having been ripped away in her struggle.

Karin strode right up to the girl, grasped her face, and slammed the back of her skull into the lab table, forcing her to lie down.

The white haired subject grunted, the blood staining down her chin and out of her ruined eyes smearing across Karin's palm.

"Tch." Karin tutted, studying the gaping holes of Tayuya's eyes, swarming with black tendrils. "Look at this mess."

"What a pest." Harime agreed darkly, forcing her shadowed hands to coil more tightly around Tayuya's body, immobilizing her.

The specter's original hands were clasped in the rat sign as she held her jutsu steady, glowing red eyes narrowed into irritated slits.

"This is going to hurt you, alot more then it will hurt me." Karin warned her subject.

"No anesthesia?" Harime snickered, not really caring.

"I ran out. Tsunade-sama is beginning to grow suspicious, what, with all the stuff disappearing lately." Karin shrugged, before her mouth twitched slightly. "Besides, I'm kind of pissed. My little intestine has burst, and now I'm bleeding internally, so I'll have to fix it after I've retrieved Naru's new face."

"I didn't take you for the revenge type." Harime said honestly, jagged teeth glistening as her face cracked into a large smile.

"Didn't you know?" Karin asked innocently, moving her scalpel towards Tayuya's neck. "I'm very easily irritated."

Quickly, the Uzumaki slit Tayuya's throat open. Not enough to kill her, but definitely enough to cause ample blood flow and weak gurgles to spill out of the subject's mouth.

Threads slithered out of the cut, immediately attempting to stitch the Oto nin's wound closed.

"Oh no you don't." Karin hissed, fisting Tayuya's shaggy bangs and lifting her head up. Tayuya weakly tried to pull away, but with the combined forces of Harime's shadow jutsu and Karin's iron grip, it was pointless.

Karin's hand slid around the circumference of Tayuya's neck, making a quick neat cut around the girl's neck.

"You ready for this?" Karin asked, throwing a look over her shoulder at Harime.

The specter's grin curled.

"Do it." She dared.

With a snort, Karin placed her scalpel aside, reaching into one of her lab coat pockets once again to pull out a fresh pair of latex gloves, which she had admittedly forgotten to use before she'd began cutting into her subject.

The gloves were pulled on with loud snaps, and Karin cracked her knuckles, pursing her lips in concentration as she moved to finish her task.

Tayuya had stopped struggling, instead she lied on her back, staring sightlessly at the mural of Harime's birth painted on The Gallows' ceiling.

Karin slid her gloved fingers into the wound around Tayuya's neck, causing the girl to jolt in surprise and pain. Karin winced, feeling the blood soaked threads beneath Tayuya's flesh slither over her fingers.

"_Do it_." Harime said again, voice saturated in dark glee.

Karin nodded once, ignoring Tayuya's inhuman and pained groans and chokes as she clinched her fingers, sliding gloved hands further into the slit in her neck.

Karin maneuvered herself around, so that she was looming over Tayuya's head. The white haired girl would have seen Karin upside down if she could see anymore.

"Here goes." Karin murmured.

She tightened her hold on Tayuya's warm flesh, her fingers submerged beneath her skin all the way up to her knuckles.

With a deep breath, Karin pulled.

And Tayuya screamed.

The Uzumaki was honestly surprised the girl still had it in her to do so, but either way, she began pulling again. Or peeling perhaps, hearing and feeling the flesh in her grasp tearing as she slowly removed Tayuya's face.

Harime snorted, and then she began cackling.

Her hand morphed into a giant blade, stretching until it reached Tayuya's skull.

"Might as well save Naru-chan some hair too." The specter explained, still sniggering as Tayuya howled, and Karin pulled.

Harime efficiently cut around the circumference of Tayuya's head, the cap falling off with a muted thump when she finished, revealing her brain, which sprayed fluids all over the front of Karin's lab coat and mesh shirt.

"What the-" Karin choked. "Harime! This will cause her too much circulatory shock! The insufficient blood and oxygen will reach her cells, and the result will be rapid and permanent tissue damage!"

"Barely understood anything besides inevitable death, but relax, m'kay? Just rip the damn thing off and I'll put the top of her head back on." Harime said, voice nonchalant. "That's not her face anymore anyways. And even if she dies, I'm sure you can keep her body alive."

"Yeah?" Karin huffed, still pulling Tayuya's face away, more than half of it was already ripped off, her bare, blood saturated muscles and tendons crawling with the dark presence of Jiongu.

Karin had used her scalpel to cut away particularly stubborn areas, like the last shred of flesh keeping Tayuya's lips to the rest of her face, and the area around the bridge of her nose.

"Well, if she's brain dead you can't exactly train her body into S rank material can you?"

"Whatever." Harime said, voice telling of her childish pout.

Tayuya was frozen stiff, and with one last vicious yank, Karin tore off Tayuya's face like an old mask, the flesh blobbishly sagging in her gloved hands.

"Ew." She muttered.

Just as she said, the blade Harime's hand had shifted into returned to its clawed form, picked up the cap of Tayuya's skull, and crudely slapped it back over the nearly dead girl's bare brain.

Immediately, black threads sprouted out from around her skull, swiftly stitching it back into place.

"You know what?" Harime suddenly said, studying the tendrils that helplessly swayed about Tayuya's skinless face.

"What?" Karin asked, wondering what to do with the topless face she held in her hands.

"I don't want any part of Naru's new body getting messed up." Harime decided. "You should get the rest of her skin and I'll seal it away until it's confirmed Tayuya will bond with Jiongu."

Karin sighed explosively, tossing the formless face to Harime as she looked at Tayuya, noticing the girl had died.

Harime caught the blob of bloody skin, and began grinning, sticking one of her hands inside of it and making it talk like some sort of impromptu sock puppet.

"Ello," Harime babbled, making the face's gaping mouth flap open and closed. "I'm Naru-chan's new face. Aren't I preeeeeetty?"

The crimson eyed girl rolled her eyes, holding her hands before her chest in a simple hand sign to channel chakra. After a short moment, Karin's hands began generating small white sparks.

Her natural affinities were Water and Earth, but she'd been working on Lightning as well, knowing being able to generate a spontaneous shock was useful in the medical field.

When Karin's left hand began screeching quietly, she moved around the lab table once more, and slammed her hand into Tayuya's bare chest, lightning jolting the girl's still heart into a stuttering rhythm.

"Harime-chan." Karin called, reminding herself not to touch her glasses with bloodied gloves on.

"Haaaai~?" Harime drawled childishly, still making the sagging skin over her hand talk.

"Can you please seal Naruto's face away sometime before Tayuya dies again and go to the hospital?" Karin asked politely, still managing to appear sardonic. "I need you to pick up some morphine. Tayuya has to live until we've seen the results of bonding her with Jiongu."

"Awwww~" Harime whined. "You're no fun Karin. But ookie dokie, I'll go get the drugs."

The specter made her way over to one of The Gallows' many shelves and retrieved a small scroll, quickly sealing the face she'd been playing with inside of it, and set it aside before she began sinking into the shadows to do what was asked of her.

"Please hurry." Karin said, watching the shadow sink into the floor. "I can only keep her alive by force for so long. She's in too much pain."

"Will do!" Harime saluted, disappearing completely.

The Uzumaki made to finish up, but Harime's head popped out of the floor again, grinning.

"Oh, and did I forget to mention Naruto learned a jutsu from an old perv that could regrow her hair if you damaged it?"

The specter snickered at the Uzumaki's bland look before going again.

_'Meaning there was really no reason to rip the subject's face off, and that she just wanted a good laugh.'_ Karin translated flatly. _'Honestly, that thing is so freaking twisted.'_

After a short pause, Karin went about collecting the equipment Tayuya had scattered in her struggle, and began hooking the girl back up to the systems.

Pretty soon, the Uzumaki's nerves were calmed by the calm and slightly slow beating of Tayuya's heart monitor.

Karin coughed, red speckling her lips.

"Oh yeah, internal bleeding." She reminded herself, pulling off her soiled gloves. "Better get right on that."

The young medic called on her Mystical Palm Jutsu and began the process of healing herself.

* * *

Jorogumo sensed the presence of Harime disappear, knowing the shadow being was probably off to fulfil some heinous whim or ambiguous task.

The stitched mouthed clone looked up, cute white teacup shaped like a screaming skull positioned before her full lips.

The person Harime had brought back from Taki was hanging upside down in mid flight, four transparent green and orange appendages fluttering at blurring speeds, acting as wings.

The girl had mocha colored skin, bright slanted orange eyes, and pastel green hair cut in a choppy bob, part of her bangs held back by an orange hair clip.

"Fū-san, haven't you had enough of exploring?" Jorōgumo asked emotionlessly.

"Not really," The green haired girl returned, flipping rightside up to study a particularly strange kohl sketch of a mask stylized after an eyeless man.

The walls of Naruto's living room were completely covered in sketches, the furniture was all dark leather and equally dark wood.

"So like, this Naruto chick is into some pretty weird stuff huh?" Fū said, wings fluttering as she moved to the side, blinking at a rough sketch of Naruto's favorite zipper mask. "That's pretty cool." She muttered.

Jorōgumo set down her teacup, right onto the bone hand shaped saucer it went with. The cup was empty, so the stitched mouthed clone reached over to the cute white teapot decorated with decapitated and dancing skeletons.

"Mm. Master is what most humans consider eccentric, or perhaps unhinged is more apt." She said, carefully positioning herself to pour more warm liquid into her teacup.

Fū snorted. "Seems legit. But like, what's Naruto like anyways? As a person I mean? I came with Harime because I knew I could get away from that stupid village, and it seemed fun to meet someone like me. Harime said that in many ways, I'm the same as Naruto."

"Harime told you nothing about Master did she." Jorōgumo said, because her voice didn't even tilt with question. It was still a soft and toneless tenor. The clone paused in her movements, waiting for Fū's response.

"Nah, she didn't say anything. Seems like a pretty shady character too." Fū admitted, flying across the room so that she hovered over the glasglow mouthed clone and her impromptu tea party. "She only told me enough to lure me here, and I know she was luring me because there's no way that creepy ponytailed thing _doesn't_ have ulterior motives."

"You are correct." Jorōgumo stated, returning to her task at hand. "Harime is the worst of Master. There is nothing she does that has no reason behind it."

Orange eyes bugged out, their owner not able to focus on what she'd been told as she watched Jorōgumo pour actual_ blood_ from her teapot and into her cup.

The clone even had the nerve to use proper edicate while doing something so disturbing, daintily placing her tea pot back atop the table she sat at. There was a skull shaped cookie jar next to the resting place of the teapot, a knife pierced into the top of it acting as its handle.

"Ew, how sick are you?" Fū exclaimed, face contorting in disgust when the clone took off the cap off the cookie jar, revealing its contents.

Eyes.

It was full of bloody eyeballs. All of their irises when different shades, telling how there were various people the orbs had been collected from.

"I am not sticking around for this madness!" Fū huffed. "Aren't you a copy of Naruto? She's some kind of freaky cannibal!?"

"Negative." Jorōgumo intoned, newly bleached teeth sinking into an eye with a green iris. "I am almost nothing like Master. The only reason I feed is to survive, because without blood, the cells in my brain will decay, and I will become brain dead."

"I… I don't really get it." The green haired girl mumbled, wings folding into her back and disappearing so that she could land mutely on the kitchen floor tiles.

"No matter, Karin-san is much more eloquent in such matters than I am anyway." Jorōgumo stated. "Ask her later and perhaps she will explain it more clearly."

"Uh, okay. I still haven't met that chick yet, but when I first came Harime told me she'd introduce us later." Fū responded, orange eyes sliding away as the stitched mouthed clone licked a bit of blood from her lips, swallowing the rest of the eyeball in her clawed hand whole.

The green haired girl focused on the art littering the walls, overlapping each other as the clone helped herself to the bloody contents of the cookie jar.

"So like, you're different from Naruto, right? Why?"

"Master created me when she was "unbearably bored"." Jorōgumo explained, causing Fū to wince as she chewed audibly. "Because a clone's personality is determined by the mood of the creator, I am in a constant state of apathy. Had Master been in a normal mood, or in battle perhaps, I would be nearly identical to her in terms of behavior. Though, for some reason, I noticed Master's normal clones are blatantly more mischievous than she is publicly."

"Whoa, so basically, you don't feel anything but nonchalance?" Fū asked, intrigued.

The stitched mouthed clone shrugged carelessly, placing the top back onto the cookie jar and picking up her teacup, pinky erect as she took a polite sip of blood. The clone absently noted Harime's presence returning.

Fū visibly tried to quell her bile at the sight of the lounging clone.

"Wait, you say Naruto is mischievous?" The green haired girl spoke up, dragging a chair away from the kitchen island to sit down across from the clone. "If that's true, even if not on the same level as her clones, then why are you so… stiff?"

"I prefer the term educated." Jorōgumo corrected, placing her cup back down. "But that is easily explained by my sentience. I have existed long enough to form my own individuality, and locked within my coffin, there is nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company. I don't particularly care about being alone, but it has changed me, as well as feeding on others for nourishment. I am based on a human, a copy of Naruto. Meaning in a basic sense, that I am human. And human beings under certain circumstances have the ability to adapt, and change. Quite simply, I am a clone of Master, but I am Jorōgumo. We are not the same. Harime is similar. She is her own entity now, with her own beliefs and feelings that are not shared with the creator."

"That… that is surprisingly cool." Fū breathed, orange eyes sparkling with wonder. "So like… if you think about it… Naruto created artificial life. Even if you're a clone, you're your own person now, so that means you're actually alive. And you look pretty lifelike to me. You can't just be dispelled, right?"

"Correct." The clone confirmed. "Master's clones are special, and can only be dispelled with killing blows. I am modified with seals, therefore more durable than that. To be rid of me, one would have to know exactly the method to kill me. And only the creator knows that. Until I am personally disposed of by Master, even a killing blow will not dispel me. I will just continue to reform until my "kill spot" is destroyed."

"That is utter badassery." Fū said, dead serious, orange eyes determined. "I have to meet this chick. If she created something as amazing as you-ignoring your gross eating habits- while she was bored, then she has got to be utterly savage when she's got her head in the game."

"Master is as they say, "wicked cool"." Jorōgumo intoned.

_'Harime's on the move again.'_ The clone inwardly noted. _'What is she up to now?'_

Fū threw her head back and laughed, pulling the clone's thoughts away from her Master's dark other half.

"So, when do I get to meet the oh so amazing and "wicked cool" Naruto?" The green haired girl asked mirthfully.

"Undefined." Jorōgumo said. "Though, I am sure Harime and Karin-san will be able to entertain you until Master's homecoming."

Fū looked understandably confused at that, but after a long moment, the green haired girl just shrugged, content with the fact that she'd successfully ditched Taki and possibly found a goldmine for some beast thrills.

* * *

"Threads have successfully bonded with subject."

The Kage Bunshin behind her jotted down the information, pen scribbling across her clipboard. Harime had run off again after dropping off the things the redhead needed, and to be honest, the Uzumaki wasn't sure she wanted to know what the creature was up to.

With a sigh, Karin banned all thoughts of Harime from her brain for the moment, staring down at her greatest creation, which was strapped down to a blood splattered lab table, knocked out cold, body hooked up to an IV and respiratory system she'd "borrowed" from one of Konoha hospital's storage rooms.

"Boss, is there anything about the subject's condition you would like me to take note of?" Her clone asked drolly.

Karin, being an Uzumaki, had a fair amount of chakra. Not as much as Naruto (if you ignored the dark presence that had been locked up inside her), but the crimson eyed girl still had reserves well over Chunin. Currently, she could make three Kage Bunshin, (taught to her by Harime), without feeling exhausted.

Karin looked at the thing that had been Tayuya of the North Gate.

The only skin remaining on the teen was the pale ring around the circumference of her head, keeping her long tangled white hair spilling from her scalp. The rest of the girl was a giant wound. She lacked any skin, her muscles and tendons were bare, but to Karin's fascination, they'd been eaten away, replaced by the living black strings of Jiongu.

The threads were saturated in blood, serving as the barrier between the bacteria in the air and Tayuya's vulnerable innards.

"Continue to describe the armor-like state Jiongu has adopted to protect the subject's vitals." Karin ordered.

The only response the young med nin got from her bunshin was the quick scratching of her pen across her lab paper and clipboard. With a sigh, the redhead studied her subject blankly.

Karin had been slightly unnerved by the teen's empty and constantly bleeding eye sockets, so she'd blindfolded her. The only things visible of what should have been her face were her bone white teeth, framed by a lipless mouth, and the slits in her face where her nose should have been.

"I would probably feel incredibly sorry for you right now, not to mention disgusted and guilty with myself." Karin told the sleeping girl. "But with my empathy for others that involve orders being sealed away, I feel nothing for you. So, all I can say is your suffering will end. It may take a while, but I guess you can look forward to dying when we bring Naru back."

With that, Karin stepped away from Tayuya, and made her way out of the clear plastic curtains wrapped around the area of the white haired nin's lab table.

Karin left her clone to its given task and left The Gallows for a much deserved shower, sealing the door back up with Naruto's air-tight security seals.

Once out of the muted sealing area of The Gallows, Karin's sensory abilities picked up on two monstrous chakra signatures.

She recognized the cesspool of Jorōgumo's chakra, being made up of what was left from when Naruto created her and the chakra she absorbed from consuming blood (and whatever else), but the other one, she hadn't an inkling of who it was.

It was earthy, not from the same region as Konohan chakra, and there was a powerful undertone beneath the kind energetic source. The presence behind that earthy chakra reminded Karin of the same dark energy Naruto had once had hidden in her own body.

_'This person is like Naruto-chan.'_ The Uzumaki thought, pulling off her soiled latex gloves and pushing her spectacles further onto her slim nose. _'But Jorōgumo isn't causing a fuss, or trying to eat them, so this must be the "firefly" Harime told me about.'_

With a shrug, Karin followed the chakra sources out into the front room and to the kitchen, uncaring that her lab coat was splattered in blood, and she had a pair of equally soiled gloves dangling out of her pocket.

The red haired Uzumaki was greeted with the sight of Jorōgumo sipping at something that probably wasn't tea and seated across from the glasgow mouthed clone was a slim girl with pastel green hair.

"Karin," Jorōgumo greeted, not bothering to turn around. "Your work must be done for now. Harime has once again stepped out for a moment, and this is an acquaintance of hers, Fū-san."

The orange eyed girl's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Please, "san" makes me sound like some old bag lady with dozens of cats. Just call me Fū."

"Very well." The stitched mouthed clone intoned, just as Karin snorted in humor.

"Nice to meet you Fū, I'm Karin. Medical nin trainee and _good_ friend of Naruto."

One of Fū's fair brows rose skeptically when Karin blushed furiously, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering in delight when she uttered the word 'good'.

"Okay, ignoring the creepiness, nice to meet ya Karin." The orange eyed girl greeted jovially, insect wings unfolding from her back and propelling her across the room so she fluttered before the Uzumaki, hand stuck out in a friendly gesture. "Harime was supposed to introduce us, but I guess she's busy right now."

Karin regained her composure, and took the offered hand, shaking it civilly as she tried not to drill her perpetually knowledge seeking eyes into Fū's wings.

All too soon, the extra appendages were disappearing into Fū's back, much to the redhead's disappointment.

"Well, I would ask why you're covered in blood, but I'm positive that I really don't want to know." Fū said, grinning.

Karin snorted, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I don't blame you."

By this point, Jorōgumo was clinking around in the kitchen, cleaning out bloodied teacups and pots in the sink.

"Hey...so like, are you going to wash that off…?" Fū asked awkwardly, eyeing a particularly large splotch of red across the front of Karin's mesh shirt.

"Yeah, I was actually going for a shower when I sensed you, and thought I'd come and say hi." The Uzumaki explained. "I'm not exactly sure if Harime wants you out and about since she more or less stole you from Taki, but no one will sense you as anything but a civilian if I slap on a chakra suppression seal."

"What!?" Fū blurted, eyes sparkling with excitement. "You're gonna get me outta here!?"

Karin was momentarily taken aback by the girl's sheer enthusiasm, but soon found herself smiling.

"Hm, yeah. After my shower, I'll show you around the village, and maybe you can even meet Naruto's brat Kono." The redhead said. "I don't have any work to do right now, and 'Gumo knows when Harime will get back from wherever she's slunk off to."

"Contrary, I have not an inkling to when Harime will return." Jorōgumo piped up, gliding over to the two conversing girls.

Karin rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She muttered, flicking the clone in the center of her forehead, making her cover the abused area with both hands and blink her single blue-green eye in bafflement. "I'll be back in twenty Fū. Make yourself at home."

"Will do!" The girl chirped, saluting Karin's back.

The redhead smirked briefly at the girl's cheerful nature, before she disappeared down the hall.

Of course, Karin didn't trust Fū, that powerful chakra locked up inside her likened to the dark presence Naruto had carried making her wary.

The Uzumaki was really taking Fū out so that she could learn more about the girl and her motives. Why had she so easily followed Harime from her village?

Karin was not so quick to believe Fū had gotten attached to Harime the way that Karin had to Naruto. There was a reason she had abandoned Takigakure, and the redhead knew it was more than just Fū having the same look in her eyes as Naruto.

"Hm." Karin murmured, a hot spray of water soaking her hair and slicking it to her skull. "One thing's for certain. That girl's no pushover. And whatever her reasons for abandoning her village, Harime brought her here for another reason beyond her similarities to Naruto."

Like perhaps that chakra.

The only question that left, was why did Harime want someone with such powerful chakra? What was the shadow doing besides creating a new body for Naruto?

"Just what are you plotting Harime?" Karin muttered.

The Uzumaki couldn't think of anything with so little information. She pursed her lips in frustration, and crossed her arms across her bare chest.

"Whatever." Karin huffed to herself. "I don't really care. As long as I get to see my Naru-chan again and Fū doesn't have any ill intentions towards us."

With that, the redhead reached for the soap.

She giggled, cheeks burning pink.

"I can't wait 'til you come back Naruto-chan. It's been _so long_ since I've peeked on you in the shower."

* * *

Yakumo Kurama stood on the porch of her mountainside manor, waving goodbye to Team 8, Kurenai-sensei, and Sasuke and Sakura.

She had finally come to a sort of understanding with her Ido personality, and learned that her old sensei hadn't sealed her up because she didn't want to teach her, and that she actually did care for her.

Once the ninja were out of sight, Yakumo sighed mournfully, knowing that she had shunned the Fourth Hokage for no reason, thinking he'd assassinated her parents when she'd really just lost control of her dark side and burned down the house.

Yakumo supposed she would always long to be a shinobi, even though she knew her body was too weak to sustain a successful life as one.

The almond haired girl closed the front door to her home, and quietly made her way through the lonely place and to her bedroom.

Once in her room, Yakumo sat down on her bed, and stared across her room, out of the closed window that looked down at Konoha from above.

"Hehe, over your fit I see."

Yakumo jolted violently in fright, shooting to her feet and looking around quickly for the intruder, pale face illuminated by the moonlight outside her window.

"Wh-who's there?" She stuttered, hands clasped shakily before her chest.

"Who me~?" The voice came again, chillingly cheerful.

"Yes you!" Yakumo snapped, quaking subtly in fear.

"Couldn't be~" The voice giggled, bouncing off of her walls forebodingly.

Yakumo scowled, trying to be angry to mask her utter terror. Her room hadn't been so dark a moment ago... It seemed as if the moonlight itself was avoiding the voice attached to the darkly amused intruder.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" The Kurama heir huffed. "Why don't you just come out? I'm serious y'know! Come out before I put you in a Genjutsu so horrible it stops your heart!"

"Aww you suck~" The voice said in a pouting tone. "You were supposed to say "Then who?", but ya had to go and spoil all my fun!"

"Stop screwing with me! What do you want?" Yakumo screamed.

"Hehe how fun~" The voice sang. "You smell so heavily of fear. It's… delicious."

Tears pricked at the corners of Yakumo's eyes, and she wished vehemently that Kurenai-sensei would come back and save her. That she wasn't too weak to be a ninja so that she could fight and protect herself from whoever or whatever was hiding in her room.

"Awww, that's so sad 'Kumo-chan. Don't cry~" The voice drawled, cheerful voice taking a flat drop.

Yakumo squeezed her eyes shut as her trembling grew to uncontrollable quakes.

"What do you want?" She repeated weakly.

"Hehe, I'm just kidding." The voice giggled, cheerful again. "I just came to tell you that I can make you a ninja."

"W-what?" The Kurama heir breathed, light brown eyes opening wide as she felt a spark of hope in her chest.

But then she remembered that this voice belonged to someone who obviously took pleasure in her petrification, and that more than likely, they aimed to manipulate her in some fashion.

She wasn't a ninja, but she wasn't an idiot either.

"O-oh yeah?" Yakumo spoke up, unclenching her hands and allowing them to fall at her sides. "And how could you make me a ninja? My body is physically incapable of withstanding the strain of shinobi life."

The Kurama clan heir felt a bit of her confidence returning when the voice made no indication that it would interrupt her, or harm her.

"And even if you could make my body stronger, what would it cost me?" Yakumo asked. "Would I be experimented on? Hurt in any way? What would I owe you for "helping" me?"

"I like how smart you are. You have so much potential to be useful." The voice said seriously, taking the brown haired girl completely aback by the mature yet girlish quality of it. A teenager probably.

The voice's next comment sent a nerve wracking chill up Yakumo's spine.

"But at the same time, that brain of yours makes me want rip out your insides."

"W-w-w-what?" The Genjutsu user stuttered, heart pounding in terror. "W-why would you… wh-what?"

"Hehe~" The voice snickered. "No experiments really, just a few modifications here and there, and a couple of seals."

"What kind of modifications?" Yakumo demanded faintly, her naturally pallid skin drained white in her fear.

"Well, a bit of science is involved when I say modifications. Similar to my pretty little Toy Box Wardens. Oh~ But you don't know what I mean do you?" The voice mused innocently. "I'm not going to call it experimentations because it wouldn't be an experiment. I've already perfected my technique of body modification. I could make you stronger, and even if it did hurt, you wouldn't know because you'd be asleep."

"Really," Yakumo said skeptically, tone falling flat as she forgot her fear in the moment. "Alright. Say I believe it won't hurt at all, what would I owe you for making me stronger?"

"Oh ho _ho~_" The voice laughed, sending another icy chill slithering down Yakumo's spine. "So clever 'Kumo-chan. So so clever… But anyways, you won't owe me anything. All I ask, is that you help me whenever I need your assistance. And when my Naru-chan gets back, I want you to be solely loyal to her. Though, you wouldn't have a choice in your loyalty, 'cause if you think about hurting my Naru, I'll tear you apart."

Yakumo gulped.

"Okay…" She said carefully. "What will happen if I accept this? Will I look different? What happens if I refuse your offer for body modifications?"

"Hehe, no, you'll look the same." The voice giggled. "But who said you could refuse? You accept my offer, and if you betray me, I'll decorate wherever we are with your insides. And if you refuse, I'll decorate this room with your insides."

Yakumo's breath hitched, helpless tears welling up in her eyes and spilling down her pale cheeks.

"I-I… I'd rather _die_ than help you." Yakumo whispered, clenching her teeth stubbornly. "If you're blackmailing me to join you, then you're probably going to need my help to do even _worse_ things in the future. And I will not be apart of whatever unspeakable things you may be plotting!"

"Oh dear." The voice drawled darkly. "You really _are_ clever. And it _pisses_ me off."

Yakumo's knees knocked together as her body shook, blood roaring through her ears as her mind screamed at her to move, to run, hide,_ escape,_ because the voice that had been everywhere at once was_ right behind her._

"Tehe~"

Yakumo screamed. Something warm, living, _beating_ snaked around the Kurama heir, engulfed her in nearly glowing red threads.

"What are you doing?" The voice asked blandly.

Yakumo couldn't even struggle. Her arms were pinned to her sides, and the warm beating source wrapped around her tickled her face with its soft peppermint(?) smelling strands.

"Keeping you from doing something foolish." Came a new blank voice.

"_'_Gumo-chan~" The first voice was cheerful again, but something behind it told Yakumo that its owner was _livid._ "Don't spoil my fun, okay~? Why are you even here? You're supposed to be watching Fū-chan."

"Karin-san is with Fū back at the penthouse. And I searched for you, because I had a feeling you would be up to something Master would not approve of." The one, Gumo, Yakumo thought she'd heard, said this in an utterly expressionless tone of voice.

"Perhaps it was the mood of your chakra as you left home for the second time today," Gumo continued. "But I knew that I needed to be around for whatever it was you were planning."

"**Are you still fucking brain dead?**" The voice growled, sounding monstrous, and startling Yakumo's heart into a stuttering frenzy once more.

The Kurama heir did not know how to describe_ that._ But she could definitely say that the voice did _not_ belong to a human being.

"**Fū is a _jinchuuriki._**" The voice snarled. "**You left someone with that kind of power in their grasp with a _medical_ specialist?**"

"Karin-san is competent." Gumo stated, unmoved by the inhuman and guttural rumbling of the voice. "Do you forget she is an Uzumaki? She is even more adept at using chakra chains than Master. If she must, she could get away from Fū."

"Hehe~" The voice tittered madly, going back to normal. "Don't push me, Jorōgumo. You may have evolved in some fashion, but in the end, you are still only a clone. A cheap one dimensional copy of my Naru-chan. I may not know where Naruto hid your kill spot, but that does not mean that I can't find it."

"Noted." Jorōgumo intoned. "Even so. It is my duty to serve Master and insure she is pleased, and I know she will not be pleased to find that you murdered an innocent civilian because things did not go your way."

Yakumo listened, flinching in her warm living prison as she heard the tell tale sound of grinding teeth.

"Hai hai~" The voice finally gave in, banishing the sound of the grinding bones. "You win this time, 'Gumo-chan. But I'm warning you. _Do not_ push me."

"That is acceptable." Jorōgumo stated.

With that, the warm peppermint scented threads wrapped around Yakumo's body slackened, falling in loose ringlets to the hardwood floors, and as soon as she was able to move, the Kurama heir stumbled back, slipping on the silky threads at her feet and falling onto her bottom with a loud yelp. Yakumo scrambled back, until her back hit the far wall of her bedroom, adjacent to the door.

Wide brown eyes stared at the willowy form of a young teen. The teen had beautiful blood red hair that fell down her back and past her ankles onto the floor. Her body was clothed in a nearly painted on lace bodysuit with long sleeves and legs that doubled as her shinobi sandals, which had platform heels as their soles.

She had one eye, with a glowing red iris, the sclera was pitch black, and the other was hidden by a black leather eyepatch that red ½ on the front in white. It seemed that the skin of her jaw had been heavily damaged, so, there were intricate twisting designs of stitching keeping the pale skin in place, which eventually lead into a complicated glasglow smile that stretched from ear to ear.

Standing next to the the gruesome, yet strangely pretty girl, was a humanoid figure. The figure was also female, and pitch black as well. She had drill-like pigtails flowing down to her ankles, and they swayed slightly, ruffling to a nonexistent breeze.

Her eyes froze Yakumo in place. The Kurama heir was so afraid she couldn't even tremble. Her dark side Ido had _nothing_ on this creature. The creature was some kind of specter, some shadow being with round pit-like eyes that bore into Yakumo's soul with bright red light.

And its _smile..._

It was absolutely beastly.

It stretched from ear to ear, shark-like teeth gleaming in the pale moonlight, threatening to tear into the Kurama heir's throat.

"Wh-what_ are_ you…?" Yakumo rasped, gulping audibly.

"Who me?" Chirped the grinning thing. "Well~ isn't that a good question? What's Harime? What _is _she? She doesn't know. And oh ho _ho~_ She doesn't care anymore. She's simply the one who will crush anyone in Naru-chan's way."

Yakumo shivered for the umpteenth time, light brown eyes sliding over to the one that looked moderately human. Jorōgumo.

"A-and you?" Yakumo inquired shakily.

"I am merely a clone of Master." She stated. "You may call me Jorōgumo, or Gumo if you see fit."

"Y-you _saved_ me. Th-that one. Harime was going to do something and kill me. But you... your hair..." Yakumo said, eyes dropping from the clone's blank stitched face and to the hair coiling around her feet, before they flickered back up. "You m-moved it again. It wasn't that close to you before…"

"Affirmative." Jorōgumo said. "My hair, is infused with chakra. At first I was required to use a specific jutsu to have it grow and retreat, but at this point, it is simply instinct."

"Maa maa, don't ignore Harime-chan or she'll get sad~" The specter said, tone pouting, but her monstrous grin did not lessen in any way.

Yakumo forced herself to look away from the grinning creature.

"Th-thank you for saving me." Yakumo stuttered, trying to smile, but grimacing deeply instead at the stitched mouthed girl.

"It is what my Master would have wanted." Jorōgumo said.

Yakumo swallowed thickly, struggling to her weak knees, before pushing herself into a shaky standing position. The Kurama heir wondered what the hell she was thinking for even considering this, but… to be honest, she really didn't want to die, nor was she foolish enough to think that Harime would just leave her alone after approaching her. And Yakumo was willing to bet Jorōgumo would not always be around to save her from a grisly end. Taking that into account, she'd be fine if she accepted. So… if it meant she could be a ninja… maybe working for this Naru and "Master" wouldn't be so bad.

"I… I'll help you." Yakumo blurted, wincing when Harime's grin curled at the ends, tickling at the corners of her pit-like eyes. "Bu-but you have to promise you won't hurt me, because I swear on my clan's honor I won't betray your leader! B-but I don't want to do bad things. Don't make me hurt people okay?"

"Oh poor poor 'Kumo-chan." Harime drawled. "Didn't you know silly? Ninja are paid to harm others."

Yakumo looked to Jorōgumo helplessly, but the emotionless girl simply blinked once.

Dread pooled into the pit of the Kurama heir's stomach.

"Don't fret though 'Kumo-chan." Harime cooed darkly, and then promised, "I can make it so you never feel a drop of guilt."

Yakumo clasped both of her shaking hands before her chest once more, biting her lip in uncertainty as the specter held out one of her dark clawed hands, silently beckoning her to take it.

"Jorōgumo~" Harime sang.

"Hai?"

"Summon the Underground." The specter ordered, startling the living daylights out of Yakumo when she flashed in a show of frightening speed right before her and took one of her clasped hands.

The Kurama heir was equal parts disturbed and curious at how _warm_ Harime's hand was. It was an eerie sensation, the feeling one has when they know they are being stared at, but has not an inkling as to who is doing the staring, coupled with the sensation of standing up close to a screen or heater with your eyes closed.

Yakumo was jolted out of her musings when a literal door rose up in the center of her room, dancing blue flames licking at its sides. Jorōgumo stood beside the summoned door, visage as blank as ever.

"Come come 'Kumo-chan." Harime snickered. "Harime-chan is going to make you a ninja."

Jorōgumo pulled the door open as Harime pulled Yakumo along, the frightened girl stumbling after the specter on rubbery knees.

_'What have I just agreed to?'_ Yakumo thought hopelessly.

It would seem only time would tell.

* * *

**The In-between**

* * *

"Sucks that you can't see what's going on back home Baby-chan." Kushina said, running her fingers through her daughter's long blonde hair.

Naruto, who was sitting beside her mother leaned into the comforting contact, and shrugged.

"I'm sure nothing too interesting is happening." The blonde offered, ignoring Kurama's derisive snort from behind them. "Karin and Harime are working to pull me back over I'm sure. But other then that, I haven't told them to do anything else."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you created life without creepy science or simply doing it the old fashioned way." Kushina said, shaking her head in amazement. "Even if that life belongs to someone like Harime."

"Yeah well," Naruto shrugged again. "I don't know what I was doing either. I was desperate y'know? I had no idea Harime would still be separate after she gave back the other half of my soul. And just my luck that she made a mistake and a shard of it was left behind in my original eye."

"Hmph. Just make sure you stop meddling in things you shouldn't be meddling in dattebane." Kushina instructed, giving Naruto's ear a little pinch and twist in warning.

Naruto yelped and scrambled a short distance away.

"Okay jeez." She huffed. "But you know I can't really promise that. My entire repertoire revolves around forbidden and powerful jutsu."

Kushina sighed. "You are so much trouble 'ttebane."

Naruto rolled her eyes heavily, yelping once more when her mother smacked her on the back of the head.

"None of that attitude 'ttebane!"

"Okay _yeesh._"

Even as Naruto complained, her mouth was twitching slightly in humor. After a moment, Naruto peered at her mother through her bangs, feeling hopelessly shy all of a sudden.

"Hey… Mom?" Naruto asked, gaining the redhead's attention.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me how you met Dad again?"

Kushina's violet eyes softened, and she smiled at her only child.

"C'mere Baby-chan." Kushina said, opening her arms.

Naruto wasted no time scrambling into her mother's warm embrace and snuggling into her side.

"Well," Kushina began, her tone telling Naruto that she was grinning in remembrance. "I'll never forget the day I met Minato, because he was a total girly eyed pushover…"

* * *

**Next chapter:**

**Into The Eyes of**

**We'll see Gaara, Anko, and what Harime's up to. Don't expect too much though.**


	30. Through The Eyes Of

**This chapter is choppy because there was a few people I wanted to express the thoughts of.**

**This chapter is also a flop. My inspiration for this in general has died, and is now being eaten by maggots.**

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image.**

* * *

_6 Months After Naruto's Disappearance_

* * *

"So there you are." Gaara intoned, arms crossed over his chest as he peered out over Konoha, watching its citizens rebuild steadily, standing atop the Fourth Hokage's head.

"What are you doing here, Ichibi Jinchuuriki?"

Gaara's pale eyes slid over to the person who had slunk up behind him, now standing with solemn poise at his side.

"You are not Naruto." He stated, before his eyes slid away once more. "I am here on diplomatic business, to discuss a formal treaty with your Hokage."

"And what grounds do you have to do that?" The equally apathetic being asked, long hair swaying in the gentle breeze. "Shouldn't your village's head Jounin be doing the talking while your village council elects a new Kage?"

"Hn," Gaara grunted. "The head Jounin as of now is Baki, and he is here. I was brought along as a peace offering. It is possible that I could be killed, and because I am Suna's trump card, my village would be considerably more weakened if I were to perish. Baki knows that, so he brought me along to persuade the Fourth to believe in Suna's sincerity."

"How tactical of him."

"Indeed."

"Though, it is simultaneously foolish." The being murmured. "Perhaps you will be assassinated, having come for nothing."

"It is a possibility," Gaara agreed, turning away from the busy village he observed, turning to the one who had joined him up above.

The redheaded boy rose a single hairless brow at the pale intruder's face, a jigsaw of intertwining stitches that formed a wide smile he was sure this one would never imitate.

"What are you?" Gaara asked.

"I am Jorōgumo." She intoned, turning to look at the shorter redhead blankly. "A clone of Naruto."

"Hn," Gaara said. "And where exactly is Naruto?"

"Undefined." Jorōgumo stated. "Master will return when Master returns. For now, I will keep order in her home."

"Am I correct to assume that you are unaware of when her return will happen?" Gaara asked.

"Hai," The clone nodded once. "May I ask why you seem concerned?"

"Naruto did something for me." Gaara admitted, tearing his eyes away from the clone's single seafoam blue one. "The silence is… peaceful. In return, I did not participate in the invasion, and because it was ordered to commence by Orochimaru instead of the Kazekage, I was not punished for treasonous acts."

"By the sound of it, you have already thanked Master for helping you by not actively attacking the village." Jorōgumo pointed out. "Do you wish to formally thank her?"

"Perhaps," Gaara uttered quietly, once again staring out at the village, pupiless eyes trying to glimpse what Naruto did when she decided not to hate those who shunned her. "But there is something she said to me. Something about a lonely boy, and a lonely girl."

Jorōgumo remained silent as Gaara blinked slowly.

"She held her hand out to me, and I am still not quite sure why I clung to it so desperately."

"You are much more forthcoming with your emotions than I originally presumed, Gaara-san."

"That's not it." Gaara stated. "It is simply because in a way, you are Naruto."

The redhead looked at the stitched mouthed clone.

"Even if you carry yourself differently, speak differently, and feel on a lesser scale, you are Naruto." Gaara's blank eyes softened, if only a sliver. "I would like to know when she returns though. See to it that I am informed."

With that, the crimson haired boy's form collapsed into sand, swirling in a wispy dance before fading from sight.

Jorōgumo looked out over Konoha, and cocked her head to the side. Perhaps it was only because she had one eye, but she could not see what the redheaded boy had been looking for.

"I will make certain that you know when she returns, Gaara-san." The clone uttered blankly, turning on her heel to walk away.

* * *

Anko Mitarashi sat on the edge of the gate that kept all the creatures of the Forest of Death inside.

The purple haired woman snacked on a stick of dango, a full box of the syrupy pastries opened atop her lap.

It was her day off, and she was bored as all hell. She would've hunted down Naruto so they could harass a few people in town, but the little redhead had disappeared after the invasion. And the purple haired woman knew it had to have been around that time because the army of zombies the kid had set on the offending forces began sinking into the ground shortly before it was all over.

Anko couldn't say she was sad the kid was gone, because she didn't really know her, like, at all. But, she could say she was disappointed, because she had wanted to know Naruto. She seemed like a really cool kid, and for some reason, without the redhead's volatile presence, the village seemed… boring.

It was really strange that Anko could feel that way, because she had never come into contact with the kid before the Chunin Exams, but now that she was absent, something just felt amiss.

"That's really weird, 'cause Yondaime-sama used to mutter to Old Man Sarutobi that she was a shut in." Anko mumbled, sighing around her dango before looking up into the afternoon sky. "How can I feel like something's not right when she's gone, but when she's here she's never around?"

The Mitarashi shrugged.

"Whatever. All I know is, the kid's sure got a way about her."

The purple haired woman grinned crookedly.

"There's no way that kid is dead like everybody's sayin'." Anko muttered. "She's probably gonna come waltzing back after an obscene amount of time, and then she'll carve a bloody path through everybody that get's in her way to whatever goal she's got."

Shaking her head, Anko flicked her empty dango stick to the ground below, into the ever growing pile beneath her. She picked up another pastry, and began nibbling on it.

"When she comes back, me and that kid have a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

Karin had the day off.

Lady Tsunade was catching up on a stack of paperwork she had been neglecting for Kami knows how long, so she'd pretty much kicked all of her new medical students out of the hospital and told them to "study individually".

So, because Tayuya's body was going through a healing process, and under a medical induced coma, and Harime was snuggled up in Naruto's bedroom doing things Karin knew she probably didn't want to know about, the crimson eyed girl decided she would treat herself.

She was off to the Forest of Death, where she remembered seeing some rare flowers that produced lovely perfumes and poisons.

Karin's hobby, (besides trying to see Naruto naked) was collecting perfume, and lately she hadn't been able to collect many exotic samples, y'know, with all the keeping Tayuya subdued and putting up with Fū's tendency to blow things up. Though, Karin wasn't entirely free, because Harime wanted her to collect a rare sap exclusive to the forest, so that they could finish up the last imperfections on the suit of skin they were going to bond to Tayuya.

It had been six months since Karin and Harime began the process of resurrecting Naruto, and the redhead was a bit stressed out, wondering why Harime was drawing the process out. The way Karin saw it, they should just slip some skin over Tayuya, pull Naruto's complete soul over to their side, and be done with it. But a while back, Jorōgumo informed her that Harime had collected a young genjutsu expert, and had taken her to the Underground for "modifications".

Harime didn't do anyone favors.

The only reason Karin could think for that thing to have recruited a genjutsu expert was because she wanted to hide something. She wanted to have control over someone or some people, and she didn't want anyone to know about it. Not even Naruto, because she was keeping her creator away from the land of the living long enough to complete her desired task. But for what? Who? It had to be something that would benefit Naruto in the long run, because Harime didn't do anything she thought would have ill effects on Naruto.

But if she was keeping Naruto "dead" while she was plotting, then it had to be something Naruto wouldn't entirely agree with. And why wasn't Karin or Jorōgumo informed? They were Naruto's most trusted ones.

There was no question about Karin's loyalty, and if Fū was under suspicion, Harime could handle that without the help of genjutsu. She was a seal master for Gumo's sake.

It just didn't make sense.

_'What the hell is that shadow up to?'_ Karin wondered.

"Hey!"

Karin startled out of her thoughts, looking up, a senbon in either of her hands in 0.3 seconds. The redheaded girl's brows furrowed, looking up at the person who had called out to her.

"You're that chick!" The person blurted, jumping down from the fence they sat upon, flicking an empty stick of dango into the pile below them during their descend.

"What chick?" Karin asked, not lowering her guard for a second as the curvy woman made her way over.

"Don't be a smarty." The woman chided, face cracking into a sharp grin. "I'm talking about the chick that made a scene during the Chunin Exams and made out with Naruto."

Karin's cheeks flushed, but she took a short moment to remember where she'd seen the tall lady from.

"Y-you made out with my Naru!" The redhead blurted, a glimpse of the fishnet clad woman hopping onto Naruto's desk during the end of the first exam flashing behind her eyes.

"Yep! And proud of it!" The woman cackled, hands going to her hips. "The name's Anko Mitarashi kid, the sexiest chick in Konoha."

Karin's mouth twitched humorously, but she had to disagree. Obviously Naruto was the sexiest in Konoha, because Karin had high standards.

"So," Anko began, calming down slightly. "What brings you to my lovely forest?"

"Uh, I was just coming around to pick up a few samples for some perfume I'm trying to make." The redhead admitted. "And I know there's some trees in there that have a special kind of sap that helps healing stubborn scars. It would be nice if I could pick some of that up too."

Anko rose a single purple brow.

"You do know that I can't just let you in, right kid?" The woman asked deliberately. "People die in there. That's why you have to be at least high Chunin to get permission to get in."

"I didn't know I had to ask permission." Karin said, pouting slightly. "Can't you just look the other way or something? What's it matter if I don't die?"

"Mhm, and how can I be sure that you won't die?" Anko shot back. "As far as I know, the last time you were in there was during the Chunin Exams, and you had two other people in there with you to watch your back."

_'Don't make me laugh lady, my teammates were a couple of cowards, and the only reason they didn't die was because the only thing they're good at is running away.'_

"What if you come in with me?" Karin bargained. "Nobody's gonna know if you don't tell them. We both could leave clones here to keep watch, and I'll hurry up and get what I need and get out."

"Why the hell not? Let's do it!" Anko said cheerfully, completely throwing Karin for a loop at her utter irresponsibility.

_'This is the person Yondaime-sama left in charge of a dangerous area?'_ She thought flatly, not protesting when said purple haired woman threw her arm around her shoulders and hugged her to her side.

"C'mon chickie-doo let's get movin'!"

Karin yelped when Anko leapt into the air, jumping clean over the fence they stood before and into the outskirts of the forest.

"Lead the way girl."

"It's Karin." The redhead corrected, tightening the strap of her lavender colored messenger bag and pushing her glasses higher up her nose. "Karin Uzumaki, Naruto-chan's good friend."

"Friend?" Anko echoed, following after the girl who was already keep a sharp eye out for what she needed, senbon still out and at the ready. "Since when? Oh, and I heard that Yondaime-sama had your citizenship transferred from Kusa, but you're still on probation and can't file to be a ninja."

"I've been Naru's friend since the first day we met." Karin declared. "And yeah, it'd look pretty bad for the Hokage if he allowed anyone to be a ninja in his village just because they're an Uzumaki. Especially right after an invasion with a village that should have been one of his allies."

"You're pretty smart." Anko observed, falling into step beside the crimson haired girl. "So smart I bet you know a lot of interesting things."

"What are you getting at?" Karin asked, pulling out a roll of fabric from her bag, dropping down at the base of a large tree that had a curious gray moss littered with tiny blue flowers sprouting around its borders.

"I'm just wondering why Naruto's best friend doesn't seem concerned about her in the slightest when she's been missing for six months." Anko answered, dropping into a squat next to the kneeling girl, studying her profile as she rolled the fabric open, revealing an assortment of metal tools.

"Of course I'm concerned." Karin huffed, pulling out a small spatula like tool, using it to scrape a bit of moss away, before she set it aside and picked up a pair of tweezers, using them to pluck the little blue flowers out of the collected sample. "But I know Naruto will come back when it's time for her to come back."

"So she's definitely not dead." Anko said, hazel eyes narrowing.

Karin sighed, dropping the little flowers into the open jar she'd set at her side.

"No, she's not dead."

"If you knew something for sure about Naruto, you were supposed to tell the Hokage." Anko said seriously, frowning slightly, "You know if she's alive and not here, she could be labeled a missing nin. She has an obligation to this village, so she can't just up and leave whenever she feels like it, even if I can see why she might have wanted to."

"It's not like that." Karin refuted. "She didn't really have a choice, but she prepared accordingly, so she'll be able to come back."

"What, she's in trouble?" Anko asked quickly. "If she was she should have told someone."

"Can you please stop with all these wild assumptions?" Karin snipped, screwing the jar closed once she filled it with the fragrant blue flowers. "Naruto didn't exactly tell me what was going on. I'm just supposed to look after her place while she's gone."

_'And make sure her new body is up to snuff by the time Harime pulls the rest of her soul over to our side. But you don't really need to know all of that.'_

"For now I'll take your word for it, but if you're lying to me, I'm reporting you to the Hokage." Anko warned.

_'You can watch me like a hawk lady, but as long as I'm in Naruto's home, you can't touch me.'_

"I swear I'm not lying." Karin promised. _'It can't be lying if I simply didn't tell you everything.'_

The redhead had a feeling Anko knew she was keeping things from her, but that didn't really matter. Anko may be a tokubetsu Jounin, but Harime always got what she wanted.

And Harime did not want anyone but who already knew to know about what happened to Naruto.

_'I'll just go find that scar healing sap Harime wanted and be on my way.'_ Karin thought. _'Though, I do wonder how long it'll be before Harime brings Naruto back.'_

* * *

Harime sat in a rocking chair, Naruto's bedroom flooded with unnatural shadows, black lace curtains drawn.

The glowing eyed creature had a female body in her hands. Well, it wasn't a body, but the skin meticulously removed from a body. It was everything minus the tissue from the elbows down, the face, and the feet. Those would be sewn on later.

Harime had taken her time to remove the tattoos carved into Naruto's original body, and at the moment, she was sewing them into her creator's new skin. Sort of like a quilt.

Harime rocked back and forth languidly, the blob of skin laid across her lap, and she slowly attached Naruto's intricate angel wings to the back of said flesh. The specter had measured everything accordingly, cutting out shapes from the skin removed from Tayuya so that the tattoos that would replace the cutouts would fit perfectly.

She was using a normal needle, but the threads were retrieved from Tayuya. It just seemed practical to use the threads of Jiongu instead of normal threads. That way, if Naruto wanted to detach her limbs for whatever reason, she wouldn't hurt herself, and she could reel them back in to prevent them from being destroyed.

It had taken Harime an entire month to finish the lower half of Naruto's skin, but the specter was almost finished with her most recent project. The tattoos were slightly discolored, Naruto having been paler than Tayuya, but it didn't look sloppy. Harime was using very tiny stitching, so that the borders of the art looked slightly bold, while the inner workings looked the same.

Karin was off to collect some flower samples and a bit of scar resisting sap. Harime had sent her on her way because she knew Tayuya's body was not scar resistant, and she wanted the new body for her Naruto to be perfect.

"It will be my greatest work of art yet." Harime tittered, pulling the last of the squirming threads taught, before plucking her needle away and tying off the end of the living thread.

Harime held the skin of Naruto's torso up before her grinning face, the legs lying floppily between her own, admiring her handy work.

"It's beautiful." She marveled.

Harime sank into the shadows, appearing before The Gallows, letting herself in, ignoring Jorōgumo, who had come into the hallway when she sensed Harime arrive.

The stitched mouthed clone had a bowl in her hands, flooded with blood Karin "borrowed" from the hospital, a few eyeballs floating about the thick substance, a silver spoon resting on the inside of the porcelain.

"Harime," Jorōgumo greeted, spooning a round fleshy orb into her mouth.

"Blood Bag." Harime returned cheerfully, sweeping into The Gallows and to the center of the room, where she still had the open scroll she'd sealed Naruto's new skin into laid out.

"I see you are still upset that I interfered those few months ago." The clone observed, chewing quietly.

"I hate it when people spoil my fun." Harime said, sealing the skin into the open scroll before rolling it up and taking it over to one of the many shelves lining the walls of Naruto's Gallows.

"Where is Yakumo-san as of now anyway?" Jorōgumo asked.

"Curious these days aren't you." Harime drawled, sauntering over to the white curtains across the room, shielding the lab table Tayuya lied on from the outside world.

"Perhaps," The clone answered vaguely.

Harime scoffed, brushing the curtains aside to peep in at Tayuya, listening to the steady beeping of her heart monitor.

The fourteen year old was still a mass of black threads replacing human muscle and tendons, a giant open wound.

"When will you allow Master to return?" Jorōgumo asked.

Harime's head tilted, turning around to face the one at her back.

"You make it sound like I'm stalling dearest Gumo-chan." The specter smiled.

"I said no such thing." The clone intoned. "I merely request to know when Master will return."

"I don't think I like your tone." Harime giggled.

"I use no specific tone." Jorōgumo said. "When will Master return? Why do you seem weaker? As if part of you is missing? What are you doing that would force you to keep Master gone until you are finished?"

"**Shut. _Up._**"

Jorōgumo blinked at the inhuman growl.

Harime's body glided around, so that she was fully facing the stitched mouthed clone.

"It's not like I'm planning anything grand, like world domination or something." The specter began, tone normal, her usual girlish lilt completely absent. "There is no great plan, no horrible hidden motive. I am simply gathering allies for my Naruto in a village full of creatures unwilling to see past the skin."

"You really have no hidden objective?" Jorōgumo said, staring directly into Harime's pit-like eyes. "There is no big conflict you are preparing to face?"

"Well, I dunno if there'll be a big conflict or not." Harime said, shrugging as her face curled into a smile. "I'm just taking measures to insure there are enough meatbags to take a spill instead of my Naru."

Jorōgumo spooned an eye into her mouth, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"Hokage-sama still hasn't located Danzo's ROOT force." The clone intoned. "He's found the base of operations, the one where Danzo moved the force to after giving Master the Underground, but he still hasn't found the ROOT shinobi."

Harime giggled.

"You're kinda sharp when you're not brain dead, Gumo-chan."

"So you really aren't up to much." The clone murmured, chewing as she turned slowly and began walking away. "I do wonder though, why you didn't just inform myself and Karin-san of your intentions."

"I don't see why I should have to tell you both anything." Harime giggled. "I answer to no one."

"Not even Master?" Jorōgumo asked, pulled the door of the Gallows open.

"I'll let you come up with an answer to that."

"That is acceptable." The clone intoned, stepping out of the room, and just before she pulled the door closed, Harime heard, "As long as you never betray or upset Master, I care not for your whims. But should you ever do either, I will take full advantage of you not knowing the location of my kill spot."

Harime's grin curled deeply at the corners.

"My my," She drawled. "That one's getting quite confident."

Her grin stretched to the corners of her pit-like eyes.

"I don't think I like that."

* * *

Shion stormed through her family's estate, long platinum blonde hair swishing behind her, pale lavender eyes lit with frustration.

She was furious, her guards refused to allow her out of the house. Sure, it was half past midnight, but she was fourteen and only wanted to go tend to the flowers in her koi garden.

"I'm fourteen!" She huffed, not even acknowledging the maid that opened the door to her personal chambers as she stomped inside. "I can take care of myself!"

She pushed the door closed before the maid could close it after her, slamming it in the frightened woman's face.

Ever since Shion's mother Miroku had sacrificed herself to seal away the demon Mōryō, the people under her command had tightened their security. And even though her mother wasn't around anymore, Shion wasn't taught any ninjutsu by the guards to protect herself.

Her mother had ordered no one teach her in hopes that Shion could live a normal life and not become a threat if she got corrupted. But that stupid order only kept Shion weak, unable to protect herself. Which forced people to be overprotective and anger her when she was not allowed to do as she pleased.

The only thing Shion knew how to do was seal, because she had been trained to seal away Mōryō should he ever be released.

The blonde made the journey across her large room, noticing that the wall sized window facing her village had the curtains drawn, the moonlight seeping through the silky fabric, casting the room in a lavender glow.

The teen fell face first into her large fluffy bed, momentarily screaming into the lavender sheets before she rolled over and stared up at her bed's pale yellow canopy.

Her lips quirked in a smirk.

Well, she had been weak. But six months ago, all of that changed. She was being trained in secret, and the night before she had a vision. The vision showed her a glimpse into the near future, one where she would be taken far away from her mother's stupid Land of Demons. One where she was free to do as she pleased, free of the burden of becoming some priestess ruler who had so many lives in her hands to protect.

She had met her first friend six months ago, the one who was training her. Her friend had summoned a door, and put Shion to sleep. When the teen had come to, she was informed that it had been two weeks, and she now owned a body that could be trained at an accelerated rate, meaning, she could become a ninja if she wanted, and she wouldn't be a weak one.

Her friend was helping her become strong.

Shion giggled to herself and rolled over to her side as she fantasized about a new life as a ninja far away from the oppressing shadow her mother casted even in her death.

"My my, someone's happy~"

Shion's eyes widened and she sat up abruptly, pushing her hair behind her ears as she turned to face the owner of that familiar voice. She blinked, realizing that the floor was entirely black, which was unusual, because her carpet was fluffy, and yellow.

Shion watched as a blob rose from the center of the thick blackness, taking the familiar form of her friend. A specter by the name of Harime.

The specter was just barely two feet tall, a female humanoid shape with wide hips and long arms that ended in black claws. Her feet were tiny, and her head large, drill-like tails sprouting from either side of her head, falling down to her ankles. Her eyes were big, blood red spheres that illuminated her dark face, showing off her razor grin, lighting up the skull and brain tissue beneath her skin.

She was distinctly imp-like in her stature and her malicious yet bubbly manor, and when she shifted closer to Shion's bed, gliding along the pool of shadows she summoned to bathe the floor, the moonlight slid over her, setting her alight, giving the priestess a good look at the milky white bones through her dark glittering form, and the innards colored in varying shades of red.

Shion watched entranced as Harime lifted up off of the floor, suspended in the air before floating over her bed, and lowering herself down to sit before the platinum blonde.

"You can fly now?"

"It's cool, ne?" Harime giggled. "Ever heard of the Chimera Technique? It goes Ox → Horse → Hare~"

"Um, no. Sorry Harime-chan." Shion said, biting the side of her cheek.

"Well, all you need to know is that it basically lets me eat living beings to absorb either their Kekkai Genkai, or their chakra. I absorbed a cute little demon, and now I can fly."

Shion's mouth fell open.

"N-nani?" She stuttered. "Y-you ate a demon?"

"No no, absorbed Shi-chan."

"Well, what did you absorb?" The priestess asked, morbidly curious.

"What's his face? Mario Morini?"

Shion paled.

"M-Mōryō?"

"Yeah! That's it!" Harime exclaimed. "I absorbed all of his power. He was so smarmy too, determined to "crush" me and wipe me from "the face of the earth". It was hilarious actually, because when I told him I was going to destroy his consciousness by stealing all of his demonic powers, he just laughed and crushed me. He was surprised when I just swallowed his tentacle and sucked the rest of him up like ramen."

"H-how… M-Mōryō is g-_gone?_" Shion stuttered, brain malfunctioning. "The demon that has been terrorizing our lands was basically eaten? Like ramen?"

"Pretty much yeah." Harime shrugged, grin stretching as she cocked her head to the side. "So, whaddyou say we blow up your room to fake your death and then blow this joint?"

Shion was speechless.

But she figured when she got over the initial shock, she'd be stepping right into the future she had predicted for herself.

* * *

It had been six months, but finally, finally he'd found an arm that his flesh did not reject. He was old, so he healed much slower than your average shinobi, but so much time had passed since he'd fled his village, Danzo was as healthy as he could be at his age.

And now he could to jutsu.

Mouth pulling into a smirk, the old man completed his chain of hand seals, slamming his new appendage onto the stone floors of one of Orochimaru's underground labs, just seven miles away from his village Sound.

Danzo wasn't a fool, he had not allowed Kimimaro to take refuge in the Snake Sannin's village because he knew that blasted Yondaime had to have sent scouts to the location. Squads who would raid the Sound village, loot out traitors from allying villages, and even people who had gone "missing" in Konoha.

Sealing insignias stretched out from beneath a weathered palm, blue flames flaring up, licking dangerously close to his new flesh.

Stepping back, the old man watched a plain wooden coffin rise from the flames, the rickety lid unhinging and falling open. As the lid landed thunderously with a resounding bang, from the coffin's depths, stepped a boy.

Danzo had found the boy was terribly sick, and to prolong his time until his expiration date, the war hawk had taken a page from his student's book, and sealed him away until he was needed.

"Come along Kimimaro," The old man muttered. "The plan begins now."

The white haired boy stepped out into the torchlight of the underground lab, shirtless and solemn.

"You have practiced the Evil Releasing Method?" Kimimaro intoned, baritone voice tinged with sleep.

"Hai." The old man nodded, once again running through hand seals.

Tiger → Snake → Horse → Ram → Tiger → Hare → Rat

He stepped closer, single slit eye zeroing in on the curse seal engraved in the pale bone user's skin.

From that mark, would be born a new Orochimaru.

* * *

**This story will be coming to a closing soon. I am losing my mojo for this.**


	31. When I See You Again

**This chapter was originally named "Exhume From the Tomb", but I decided "When I See You Again" was more fitting.**

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image.**

* * *

"It's time."

Fū, Jorōgumo, and Karin all looked up from their respective activities.

The green haired girl had been busy painting Jorōgumo's nails fluorescent orange as they rested on one of Naruto's leather loveseats, and Karin had been studying a Iryō Ninjutsu scroll assigned by Lady Tsunade.

Harime stood in the hallway leading to the rooms of Naruto's home, wearing a jagged grin almost too big for her shadowed face.

Fū's orange eyes narrowed slightly.

"Time for what?"

"Oh you know," Harime drawled, glowing eyes arching into happy silts.

Karin jumped up, scroll entirely forgotten as her cheeks flushed a rosy hue.

"I'll get ready, don't go anywhere!" The redhead exclaimed, rushing out of the room and down the hall, her speed ruffling Harime's already swaying pigtails.

Jorōgumo cocked her head to the side, and blinked.

"Ah, it is finally that time." She murmured. "I must send Gaara-san a letter then."

Fū watched the stitched mouthed clone get up and glide through the room, making her way past the grinning specter, so she too could take care of what was needed before what was to commence, would commence.

The green haired girl looked back at Harime, who seemed far too pleased with herself as usual. But it was different this time. This pleasure was more potent, almost honest, which was preposterous when considering Harime. And then it clicked.

"Ah, that time is it?" Fū mumbled, lips tilting slightly. "Well, looks like things are finally going to get interesting."

* * *

Jorōgumo sent a message on a bird to Suna, before creating a blood clone and sending it off with the same exact message, knowing that the clone was less likely to be caught.

If her little plan went well, the disaster Harime was bound to bring upon their entourage summoning their creator so suddenly would be minimized with_ his_ help. No doubt someone would intercept the bird and inform him of the contents of the message, which in turn, would draw him to wherever Harime would lead them.

_'I will not allow you to so easily do as you please any longer, Harime.'_ Jorōgumo thought. _'Creator will rise again, and you will not be allowed to move about so freely with his interference.'_

Quite simply, Jorōgumo was tired of Harime's behavior. They were both at some point extensions of Naruto, but somewhere in time they gained their own sentience, and their chakra signatures were no longer identical to their Creator's. With this, they had their own beliefs, evolved from Naruto's own.

Harime being evolved from inner darkness, was naturally at odds with Jorōgumo, who had evolved from a feeling solemnity. In the solitude of her coffin, all Jorōgumo had were her own thoughts, and as she slowly gained her own personality, she decided like Harime Naruto's wellbeing was her top priority. Unlike Harime, she would not thoughtlessly step on others to achieve this. Jorōgumo had decided that it was her purpose to serve Naruto, and she didn't care if she was perceived as a one dimensional copy of her Creator in a bored mood. She was Jorōgumo, and Jorōgumo's purpose was to act on Naruto's wishes.

Naruto's wishes did not involve seeing everyone possible bleed and in despair.

If Harime thought she would continue on doing whatever she wanted with no regard for Naruto's wishes, Jorōgumo would stop her.

The madness Harime invoked ended _today._

Eye narrowing, Jorōgumo looked down from the sun atop the roof she stood upon, recognizing the call of Harime's chakra as she called her down to meet the entourage more formally.

_'Very well,'_ She thought. _'I will obey you, for now.'_

* * *

Yakumo Kurama jolted awake. Her brown eyes took in her surroundings, an enclosed dark space. Shifting her sleepy limbs, the Kurama heir found herself feeling rather well rested, and just as it occurred to her that she had never felt so great, the inclosed space creaked, and the face of it was pulled open, light flooding into it, setting the crimson silk around her alight.

_'A coffin!?'_ Yakumo inwardly huffed. _'Who put me in a freaking coffin!?'_

"Wakey wakey 'Kumo-chan." A familiar voice crooned.

The Kurama heir felt dislike swell in her chest, lip lifting in a slight sneer at the sound of that sickeningly sweet voice.

"You too Shi-chan. It's time to play~"

Yakumo lifted her right arm, using it to shield herself from the light slicing into her eyes, squinting as she stepped out into the open. Shaking her head slightly as her eyes adjusted to daylight, Yakumo found herself in an unfamiliar living room with dark sketches scattered all over the walls, finding herself appreciating them before she realized there were people staring at her.

Blinking dazedly, Yakumo rubbed the sleep from her eyes, noting all of the spectators in the room were female. She recognized Jorōgumo and Harime, but she didn't know the green haired girl, or the one with glasses.

"W...where am I?" Yakumo asked uncertainly. "Who are those two?"

"Don't you mean three?" Harime tittered, clawed hand pointing somewhere to the heir's left.

The chestnut haired girl found herself turning to her left, eyes widening at the sight of another girl slowly slinking out of an upright shiny yellow painted coffin with crimson bedding. Yakumo briefly glanced back, noting her own coffin was pink.

The other girl had pale lavender eyes and ash blonde hair tied by a pink bow near the ends, falling just above the curve of her bottom. She wore a black, long sleeved lace bodysuit just like Jorōgumo, a red pouch around her waist, and red shinobi sandals. Atop the getup was a silk, mustard colored haori with billowing sleeves that stopped at the elbow, its hem falling just below her knees.

"This is Shion, from the Land of Demons." Harime said, causing the pale haired girl to look up, startled at the sight of the specter.

"Harime-chan!" Shion blurted. "You're so big all of a sudden."

"Ah yes, I have a few forms I can take Shi-chan." The specter returned, giggling. "Now Shi-chan, this is Yakumo Kurama. You two will be spending a lot of time together from this point on."

Shion's pale brows furrowed in confusion, and her pupiless gaze traveled to Yakumo, who had realized while Harime exchanged pleasantries with the other girl, that she was dressed the same as said pale haired girl. The only differences, were that Yakumo's haori was pink silk, and her hair tie was mustard colored.

"What's going on?" Yakumo demanded, pulling her eyes away from Shion to slice them into the perpetually grinning creature.

"I told you that I'd make you a ninja 'Kumo-chan." Harime said. "And today you receive your first mission, with your partner, Shi-chan."

"Hmph!" Shion huffed, crossing her arms. "I'd like to know what's going on too Harime. One moment we're fleeing from my flaming room, and the next I wake up here. From a coffin."

"I made you a ninja too Shi-chan." Harime grinned. "Just like I said I would. Now, how about we get the introductions out of the way so we can move along to the grand event I've got planned today?"

Yakumo's mouth twisted in distaste, and she crossed her arms as Jorōgumo stepped forward, giving a formal bow.

"I am Jorōgumo, Naruto Uzumaki's clone." She intoned, stepping back as the deeply tanned girl stepped forward and saluted goofily, grinning.

"Yo, I'm Fū. And I'm just here for a bit of adventure."

Fū stepped back and the girl with crimson eyes pushed her glasses further up her nose, cocking her hip to the side as she pursed her glossy lips, studying both Yakumo and Shion as if they were lab projects. Yakumo felt her skin crawl uneasily as the girl's keen gaze dissected her.

"My name is Karin." She finally said. "Karin Uzumaki."

"So you're related to this Naruto person?" Shion spoke up.

"Distantly yes." Karin admitted, her glasses catching a sinister gleam. "But we're very close, so watch yourself."

Yakumo blinked as she watched Shion bristle.

_'Is… is this Karin girl defending Naruto like her lover or something?'_ The Kurama heir thought, shifting uncomfortably.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shion demanded.

"It means what I said genius." Karin sneered. "Watch yourself."

"_Hmph!_" Shion huffed, sticking her nose in the air and crossing her arms.

"As fun as it would be for a catfight to break out for absolutely no reason," Fū began, glittering orange eyes finding Harime's glowing pits. "Don't you have some sort of task for us all?"

"Ah yes, thank you for that Fū-chan." Harime smiled, clasping her clawed hands before her chest. "Come along Naru's little minions, I've got some fun planned for you."

_'Minion?'_ Yakumo inwardly snarled. '_I'm no one's minion.'_

"Harime," Shion whined, watching the specter make her way to the front door, Jorōgumo and Karin on her heels. "You never said I had to be a minion. You said you'd help me become a ninja and be free."

"Isn't that what I did?" Harime giggled, unlocking the front door and stepping into the evening sunlight. "Plus Shi-chan, all ninja that aren't nuke nin have to answer to someone. I just thought minion sounded cute."

_'Because being under someone's complete control is just super amusing right?'_ Yakumo thought irritably.

"Harime where are we going?" Shion's whiny voice asked, said pale girl's pace in stride with Yakumo's own.

The Kurama heir was slightly miffed by the girl. She seemed a bit spoiled, and she honestly expected an answer for every one of her unnecessary inquiries. Said inquiries having been uttered back to back since Yakumo and her new companions had stepped foot out of the ever elusive Naruto's home.

They were now making their way through the village, which was winding down under the setting sun, bars slowly preparing to open, and vendors packing up after another day of work complete.

Yakumo thought it was kind of odd that no one approached them. They were quite a curious group. What, with Jorōgumo's stitched face, Fū's suspicious red cylindrical backpack thingy, and the giant red scroll with dark yellow borders Harime had given Shion to carry. Karin was leading the group at this point, Harime hissing directions through her eerily still mouth that was stretched into a grin.

The specter had transformed into an imp-like creature, with bones visible through her glassy black skin. Yakumo found that this had been the form Harime had approached Shion in.

_'The form she had manipulated her in…'_ Her mind supplied.

Karin moved swiftly, but not erratically as Harime whispered through her grinning mouth, arms and legs curled at impossible angles as she rested on the Uzumaki's back, looking like nothing more than a creepy children's backpack.

"Actually," Fū spoke up, hands folded behind her back as she trailed behind Karin. "I kinda wanna know where we're going too. The suspense is killing me."

"Karin-san and I know not where Harime leads us." Jorōgumo answered. "For now we answer to her. You will just have to be patient."

"All this secrecy is really annoying." Shion complained, causing Yakumo's left brow to twitch as Karin voiced her thoughts snappishly.

"_You're_ annoying!" The Uzumaki snarled. "Now_ shut up_ and follow without complaining or I'll dissect your tongue!"

_'Okay, I agree she's annoying and needs to shut up, but I'm not so sure about that last part.'_ Yakumo thought, face going deadpan as Fū startled out a laugh.

"Man you guys are so twisted." The green haired girl chuckled. "I haven't had this much fun in… well, ever."

Yakumo shook her head, brown eyes sliding to her left, studying Shion, who had finally stopped talking, but seemed to have an absence of blood, as she was pale as a ghost.

_'Note to self. Dark threats solve all problems.'_

* * *

Karin wasn't so sure about Harime's new additions. They seemed kind of unreliable. But, the brown haired one had abrasive chakra. It was dangerous yet calm, like the foreboding period before a storm. There was a feeling of controlled crackling, so this Yakumo person had lightning chakra. Yakumo was quiet, but had the potential to be very powerful. Shion, the brat, had persistent chakra, always flowing just the way it pleased, so she had a water nature.

Karin was aware she had been making both girl's uncomfortable before she decided to introduce herself, but the redhead couldn't help it. She always gauged a person's chakra when she met them.

Even if Karin didn't trust the new additions, she knew that if they had ill intentions, they wouldn't live long enough to carry them out. Harime had a no nonsense rule of death to all traitors. A painful death.

_"We're almost to the gate, tell Yakumo and Shion it's time to show off those skills I gave them."_ Harime whispered.

Karin shivered at the shadow's hissing voice.

_"Remember to tell them we don't have permission to leave the village."_

"Okay." Karin murmured, stopping in her tracks, almost causing Fū to crash into her back.

"What the heck Karin?" Fū huffed. "A little warning would've been nice."

Ignoring the slightly miffed girl, Karin's glasses caught a gleam as she turned to Yakumo and Shion.

"We don't have permission to leave this village." She stated bluntly. "It's time to show us what you're made of."

Yakumo raised a single chesnutt brow, before she nodded once in understanding. Shion's eyes twinkled in barely contained excitement, before she nodded vigorously. Catching herself, the ash blonde straightened her posture, a smirk curling at the corners of her lips.

Karin continued on, the two haori garbed girls following her lead, before the rest of their group followed behind them. Karin strode past the booth at the gate, ignoring the calls for registration and passes from the lazy Chunin in said booth.

Karin made her way through the grand village gates, turning back to face the Chunin guards as Fū and Jorōgumo flanked either of her sides.

"You didn't see us." Yakumo intoned, eyes flickering between both Chunin.

Karin realized the girl had cast a genjutsu when both men nodded dazedly. With an impish giggle, Shion slapped her hand on the booth's desk, vaulting herself into the enclosed space.

"I'll be taking your memories you two." She declared, pulling two sealing tags from the pouch around her waist and slapping them onto the foreheads of Yakumo's sleepy eyed victims.

After that she retrieved a paint brush as well, and a handheld inkpot, dipping her brush into it before quickly drawing seals onto the papers attached to the genjutsu influenced Chunin.

"Fūin!" Shion called, hands fashioned in the ram sign.

The tags turned black and shriveled up, falling to ashes and fluttering through the air.

"Hmph." Shion smirked, flipping a bit of hair over her shoulder before hopping back out of the booth and following after Yakumo, who had walked off after the blonde's display.

"I hadn't realized you could erase memories." Yakumo said quietly.

"Well. I just thought I'd do that since someone was bound to break them out of the genjutsu you put on them." Shion answered, looking very pleased with herself. "I know that someone could search their memories and see that we were leaving the village without permission, so I just decided not to leave them with any memories that could bite us later."

"Hm." Yakumo grunted.

"Looks like there's hope for you two." Fū said, throwing a grin over her shoulder at the two new additions.

Karin scoffed. They weren't all that. Naruto could erase memories too, and she could leave the village without permission by simply glaring at the guards.

"Halt."

"Tch!" Karin tutted, freezing as a squad of ANBU blurred into existence and surrounded them.

"Uh oh…" Fū mumbled.

"Where do you lot think you're off to?" One of the masked nin asked emotionlessly.

"After such a display of treachery towards the Chunin guards?" Another added.

"We're going to have to take you in for this." The first one went on.

_"Tehe~"_

Everyone stiffened.

_"I don't think so."_

Karin's mouth fell open as the ANBU were lifted off their feet and sent crashing into the right side of the village's main gate, crumbling in unconsciousness after the explosive impact.

_"Now cute little farm animals, go to sleep."_

"H-how did you do that?" Shion stuttered.

"Who cares?" Fū asked. "Let's get the hell out of here before we attract anymore trouble."

"I was under the impression that you admired adventure, Fū-san." Jorōgumo said, startling everyone, as she'd been deathly silent most of the trip.

"Well yeah, but I really don't fancy the idea of getting an asskicking from a squad of elite shinobi." The green haired girl said. "I don't know what you guys are into, but pain is not fun."

"I don't think I appreciate what you're insinuating." Yakumo muttered.

"What are you guys yammering about?" Shion demanded. "I don't get it."

"Will you guys shut up?" Karin finally sneered. "Can't you do anything but spout idiotic bullshit?"

"Is it someone's time of the month?" Fū teased, staying on Karin's heels as the girl took to the trees on the right side of the path leading away from Konoha.

"That is a stupid stereotype and I'm honestly offended that you even said that." Karin huffed, slicing a scowl into Fū's grinning profile as the girl summoned her wings to keep up with the redhead's swift pace. "You're a girl too, so how can you even find that idiocy funny?"

"I don't understand." Jorōgumo said flatly, extending her hair and using it to swing through the trees, arms dangling at her sides.

"Honestly, can we just not?" Yakumo grumbled, dodging around a wayward branch. "I was expecting diabolical mutterings and plotting. But so far my time here has been utterly preposterous."

"Slow down you guys." Shion whined, tree hopping a few feet behind the other girls, squeaking as she nearly fell after tripping. "You're going way too fast." She complained.

"No, you're too slow." Karin shot over her shoulder. "Harime, what the hell did you see in this buffoon?"

"Hey!"

_"She has her uses."_ The specter hissed, amused. _"Based on the environment she's in, she can predict the future. So if she sticks with us, her future peeping will have to do with us. Now, head to the left for another quarter mile."_

Karin pursed her lips, fixing her glasses, and swerving left as instructed.

"Okay I'll admit that's pretty useful. But she is _such_ a freaking brat." Karin muttered, rolling her eyes.

_"There's a clearing coming up in ten yards."_ Harime informed her after several minutes. _"Inform the minions to prepare for a bit of fun."_

"We're closing in on the destination." Karin called. "Prepare yourselves."

"Hai hai Taicho." Fū mocked, fluttering away when a glaring Karin took a wild swing at her grinning face.

"What exactly are we preparing for?" Yakumo inquired.

"I don't know." Karin admitted.

"Then how the hell do we prepare for it genius?" Shion huffed.

"How about I show you how I prepare for a dissection instead princess?" The Uzumaki threatened, pulling a scalpel from the tool holster hidden in her left sleeve. Shion wisely shut up, but lifted her nose haughtily with a displeased sniff.

"This is it." Karin informed them, dropping down below, using a roll to cushion her fall before smoothly finding her feet. Sandals firmly planted to the ground, Karin made her way to the center of the clearing, a stretch of green land surrounded by towering trees, set aglow by the setting sun. The red eyed Uzumaki took a look around, slyly sliding her scalpel back into its hiding place.

Shion landed clumsily on her butt, Yakumo in a crouch, and Jorōgumo extended her hair until it lowered her safely to the ground, simply retracting it once more when the task was done. Fū's wings glittered before dispersing, and the tan girl followed Karin into the center of the grassy expanse.

Harime detached herself from the crimson eyed Uzumaki, impish form deflating mid-air, skeleton and entrails slipping out of her body, landing with a wet squelch and scattering pieces of her spinal vertebrae. The resulting blob of darkness sloshed down, splattering across the grass and mess of insides.

The black expanded, swallowing Harime's scattered bones and insides before a clawed hand began reaching from the puddle. After a moment of fingers straining to reach out, a form heaved itself onto the surface.

Entranced, everyone watched as the normally sized Harime reformed, slowly unwinding to her full height, black pits flickering with light before familiar twin red lights blared to life from within her eye sockets.

_'So she hides her vital points in her shadow?'_ Karin thought. '_So… what's her real form? Her skeleton is rather small… That must mean that imp-like form is her real one, and the body shaped like Naruto's is just a puppet controlled by the real her.'_

Crimson eyes eyed the unnatural circular shadow beneath Harime's feet.

_'The real Harime hides in that shadow, controlling the grinning specter that we always see.'_

"Now," Harime clasped her hands excitedly. "Let's get started shall we? Shion~"

"H-hai?" Shion blurted, standing at attention, forcing an eye roll out of Karin.

"Bring me that scroll please?" The shadow being crooned.

"Sure Harime-chan." Shion agreed, lifting the single black strap from over her shoulder and making her way over.

"Thank you Shi-chan." Harime giggled, accepting the large scroll before setting to the grass at her feet. "Now Karin-chan, your turn."

Needing no further prompting, Karin pulled a small vial of Naruto's blood out of the gray pouch around her waist, handing it to the pigtailed being.

Karin nodded when Harime thanked her, watching silently as the shadow uncorked the vial and poured the small amount of blood onto the clasp of the scroll.

With a poof of smoke, the scroll unlatched, unrolling to a width of eight feet.

There were various containment seals painted across the stretched of the beige parchment, and having helped Harime seal everything that would be needed, Karin knew exactly what those symbols held.

"So…" Fū drawled deliberately. "What now?"

Harime giggled, unsealing a foot long ink brush, and a large skull shaped jar, which was full of blood.

"Th-that doesn't look like ink." Shion noted faintly, sitting down on her knees in fear that they'd grow too weak to hold her up. Yakumo's nose wrinkled in distaste at the sight, eyes sliding away from the thick contained fluid.

"Now I begin the process of exhuming."

"How are you gonna dig anything up with an ink brush?" Shion asked.

"And who are you digging up?" Yakumo went on. "I don't really feel comfortable with grave digging."

"I'm not going to dig up some random maggot infested corpse." Harime answered, tone indignant.

"Unnecessary imagery." Karin muttered.

"Exhume sounds cool." Harime huffed, digging her brush into the blood filled jar before moving a few feet away from the scroll. Settling herself on her knees, Harime began drawing a seal in the grass. "Now stop asking so many questions will you? Any mistakes will have grave consequences."

"Was that a pun?" Fū mumbled, green brows raising high on her forehead as Harime chuckled to herself.

"Fū-chan, bring that ink pot over here will you?"

The orange eyed girl nodded, picking up the requested item and making her way to the specter's side. Curious, Fū decided to summon her wings to flutter by Harime's side, still helpfully holding the ink jar in the shadow's reach.

Karin tilted her head thoughtfully, eyeing the bloody symbols coming to life under Harime's skilled hand.

"T-that's the seal for Edo Tensei!" Karin blurted, crimson eyes widening behind her glasses as she recognized the symbols forming in the blood Harime was using to paint across the center of the clearing.

"Not quite." The specter said. "But I see you've been spending time in the Underground's library again."

"Mou, Fū-chan never gets to do interesting stuff like that." The tan girl complained.

"Ignoring that, what do you mean not quite?" The redhead asked, turning back to the shadow being after sending Fū a disbelieving look. (She'd managed to set the living room on fire a few days prior).

Grin curling, Harime began explaining, "You see Karin-chan, it's a lot like Edo Tensei, but instead of summoning souls only from the Pure Land, I can summon souls from areas in between life and death. That is the area Naruto more than likely resides in, because she is not fully dead, and she certainly made no deal with the Shinigami, so she isn't in his stomach."

"Do you know what's going on?" Shion whispered to Yakumo.

The chestnut haired girl blinked slowly. "No idea."

"Naruto will be returning." Jorōgumo told them, oblivious to how she had violently startled them by appearing and speaking up so suddenly. "You will meet my master soon."

Yakumo and Shion shared a slightly concerned look.

"Because I have in my possesion part of Naruto's soul," Harime went on, ignoring the exchange, "All I need to do is pull the rest back over here."

Reminded by the mention of the fragment of Naruto's soul, Karin reached behind her into her pouch, pulling out a jar of preserving jell, Naruto's eye collected from all those months ago still residing within it.

Harime dipped her paintbrush back into the glass jar Fū held in her hands, fluttering with her insect wings by her side. The shadow being began painting anew as she continued with her explanation.

"It's not the same as stealing a soul from the afterlife, so I don't need a sacrifice unless I have no vessel for the soul I'm summoning."

"Wait, Naruto's original body is undamaged." Karin pointed out, before she remembered all the things that had been removed in order to perfect Naruto's new skin. "Ignoring some of the procedures done to it…"

Harime snickered.

"I just wanted my Naru to have a new stronger body, so I took the opportunity to get her a new one." The specter continued. "Naruto was not against using Tayuya as her new body, because she wasn't sure if she had died if her old body would be in good enough condition to place her soul back into. That's why she imprisoned Tayuya in the Underground. Just in case she would need a new body."

"So even though Naruto imprisoned this 'Tayuya' only as a precautionary measure, you decided to seal her soul into a new body anyways?" Yakumo asked, slightly catching on.

"Yup. This body is a lot more durable than Naru-chan's old one. It's a lot harder to kill. Tehe~"

"Oh you are diabolical." Fū said, grinning. "I kinda like it."

"Why thank you Firefly-chan." The specter giggled.

After a few more minutes, Harime finished the seal, placing her brush into her ink pot before instructing Fū to place said items back over the summoning seal she'd retrieved them from on the scroll.

Fū did as she was told, pouting at being ordered around.

"Karin." Harime called. "It's time."

"Hai," Karin breathed, feeling butterflies dancing about her stomach. The Uzumaki tossed the eye jar to the specter, watching as she caught it before the redhead kneeled before the open scroll.

Sealing away the ink pot and brush, Karin moved down the stretch of the parchment, nervousness swelling as she stopped at a very particular seal at the very end of the scroll.

Laying her hands flat against the scroll, Karin channeled chakra into the symbols, moving back as smoke burst up from the action, and atop the seal, lied the product of the most difficult series of procedures she'd ever participated in.

The Uzumaki pursed her lips as she heard Shion began retching in the background.

"What on earth…" Yakumo rasped, breathless.

"Good Kami what is _that?_" Fū choked, fluttering over to gawp stupidly at the corpse of Tayuya.

_That,_ was a skinless mass of threads protecting a body's vitals. The joints were all detached, kept closely together by thin living threads. The effect made the body seem taller, more willowy than its owner originally was.

Karin moved back, watching alongside Fū as the body was suddenly lifted into the air, drifting over to Harime where she stood near the seal meant to bring Naruto back.

"How the hell is she making it float like that?" Fū asked, finally able to stop gawking.

"Absorbing Mōryō has its uses." Harime answered unhelpfully.

"Y… you gained powers from absorbing that demon?" Shion rasped, having calmed at some point, whiny voice scratchy from the strain of her retching.

"Yup!" Harime chirped, using her unknown power to gently lower Tayuya's body onto an expanse of symbols in the seal shaped like a figure eight. "After a bit of experimenting, I noticed I've got telekinesis, flight, and an awesome increase of raw power."

"You absorbed a demon?" Jorōgumo spoke up. "It would seem you've been up to quite a bit these past few months, Harime"

"A demon huh?" Fu muttered, mouth turning down at the corners, brows furrowing in distaste.

Karin couldn't help but think the green haired girl's discomfort at the mention of a demon ran deeper than most of them were aware of. And most excluded Harime, because the Uzumaki was positive the shadow being knew about whatever it was that could make the cheerful orange eyed girl look so grim.

_'A subject that I should probably revisit sometime soon...'_ The Uzumaki thought.

"It's not like I planned it." Harime said, pulling Karin back to the subject at hand. "Shion said as long as Mōryō had a chance of escaping, she couldn't leave the Land of Demons with me with a free conscience. So, I took matter into my own hands, because I reeeeally wanted a future peeper."

"It was still rather calculative of you." Yakumo mumbled.

Karin silently agreed, unsealing two more gruesome things needed for the revival process. Harime went about unscrewing Karin's jar, removing Naruto's eye before peeling back Tayuya's left eye and inserting the orb into the empty bloodied pit.

Karin purposely avoided the sight of Naruto's original body as the specter went about this process, as well as the empty skin she'd retrieved from Tayuya.

Harime pulled both unsealed elements over to her, grin splitting her face in her excitement.

"Okay so… things have gotten really dark really fast." Fū said quietly, orange eyes studying Harime as the specter began the meticulous process of slipping the bloody skin over Tayuya's corpse.

Karin had been instructed to pull the plug on the Sound nin that very same day, which was unnecessary, considering the fact that removing a curse seal resulted in death, which is exactly what Harime had done to ensure Naruto would have no connection to Orochimaru after her resurrection. After her resulting death from being separated from her cursed seal, Tayuya's corpse had been sealed away immediately, meaning it was still fresh at this point. The removed curse seal was sealed within a scroll containing Naruto's creation the Evil Eater Seal, which was currently resting in the pit of Harime's stomach.

Karin wasn't sure what the specter was going to do with the contaminated scroll, but from what the Uzumaki had read in Naruto's Forbidden Library, it contained a piece of Orochimaru. If there was anyone else alive running around with his cursed seal brand, Karin imagined the Snake Sannin had already been resurrected.

She had only known_ of_ him, but Karin was sure a beheading was not enough to stop him. Like Naruto and like Harime, he always had a backup plan.

Karin did not want to see the fruits of his labor.

"Shi-chan." Harime drawled, setting Naruto's original body beside Tayuya's. The skin hadn't set to it yet, and the threads surrounding the joints were visible through the neatly severed skin.

It had been afternoon when Harime informed everyone that it was time, and she'd disappeared into The Gallows with Karin after the Uzumaki collected herself and began preparing. After she was ready, the redhead helped to prepare the scroll with everything they would need for Naruto's revival.

Evening began rolling around after Harime left for the Underground, presumably to draw summoning seals on the coffins that held Yakumo and Shion. When the specter returned to Naruto's home, she'd summoned the two new girl's, and they'd all left for the forest outside of Konoha.

"H-hai?" Shion stuttered.

"Set up a barrier." Harime ordered flatly, sliiping her finger's into one of the eye sockets of Naruto's corpse, paying no heed to the uneasiness such an actions caused. "Nobody or nothing gets in, and nobody or nothing gets out."

"Okay." Shion whispered, swallowing thickly before pulling out four tags.

Karin looked away as Harime pulled a red slicked orb from Naruto's eye socket, instead watching the Shion run to four sides of the clearing, sticking the tags against a tree before drawing seals across their faces.

Karin winced at the tell tale squelching noise made as Harime transferred the eye into Tayuya's remaining empty socket.

_'Go to a happy place go to a happy place go to a happy place...'_

No one noticed how Karin's cheeks abruptly flushed pink. But the Uzumaki preferred they remained oblivious to the fact that she was thinking about Naruto in the shower.

Shion returned to the center of the clearing, running through a short series of hand seals.

"Ichi, ni, san, yon…_Torii!_"

Karin was impressed when four bright red, fifteen foot tall torii gates materialized over head, slamming down to box them all in.

Shion completed another chain of hand seals before slamming her right palm into the grass at her feet. Sealing insignia crawled from beneath her palm, scuttling across the grass to all for sides, reaching up until they met the four seal tags Shion placed on the trees.

"_Torii… Rokku!_" Shion commanded, a triangular tiled roof bursting into existence, slamming down overhead, kept up by the surrounding gates. Karin flinched at the tell tale sound of locks clicking, crimson eyes widening as a large locks appeared on all sides of the torii gates, emitting yellowish glows.

"That keeps us in." Shion muttered. "But just in case someone can break in from the outside… I need a final touch…"

The ash blonde bit her thumb, wincing deeply before pulling out four more tags and smearing them with the bead of red. Using her ink brush once more she drew more seals before throwing them up. As if attracted by the torii barrier, the four tags were drawn to all four sides of the red cage, slapping into the center of an invisible wall that rippled, sending glowing yellow echoes across the face of said invisible surface.

Hands laced in the dragon sign, Shion's pale brows furrowed in concentration.

"**Kuchiyose: Fūin Inu**!"

Karin's mouth fell open as blue flames burst from the other side of the tags, roaring to life before taking the form of rabid flaming dogs. Dogs that stood guard outside of the barrier and would probably rip anyone who tried to get close into gory shreds.

"Okay I'll admit that was pretty cool…" Fū mumbled. "Also, I'm suddenly feeling like chopped liver."

Yakumo snorted, and Shion placed her hands on her hips, smirking.

"Well 'Kumo-chan, it's your turn." Harime said, grin curling. "I'm sure someone sensed that someone's up to no good outside the village, and someone will be sent to , I need a nice genjutsu to throw them off until I can finish up here."

"Karin?"

"Hai?"

"The canvas please."

_'So that's why she sealed away those paints earlier. I'd been wondering about that...'_ Karin thought, nodding agreeably before unsealing a canvas and paint palette.

Yakumo's eyes lit up at the sight, making her way over before taking the offered materials, settling herself down and observing the surrounding area.

Nodding to herself, Yakumo held out her hand.

Rolling her eyes, Karin handed her a paint brush, watching the girl dip the utensil in a pit of green before she began painting the clearing they were in. Only, there was a distinct lack of obvious torii gates and corpses.

After a few minutes Yakumo announced, "It's done. We're totally camouflaged."

"Excellent!" Harime chirped. "And now, we can finally begin!"

Yakumo set aside her art supplies before standing up and dusting herself off.

Karin and Fū went to stand on either side of Jorōgumo. Yakumo and Shion followed, standing beside Fū.

Hands clasped before her chest, and dread festering at its peak in her stomach's pit, Karin watched Harime round the bloody seal in the grass, and she stood, facing the people she had brought along to witness Naruto's resurrection.

Karin swallowed, taking note of the seals Harime blurred through.

_Tiger → Snake → Dog → Dragon._

The clap of Harime's hands at the end of the sequence was deafening in the unnatural silence that had settled within the barrier.

_'Naruto… I'll kiss you like no tomorrow when I see you again.'_

"**Kuchiyose: Nuigurumi ningyo**!"

* * *

Naruto flinched, causing her to take her mother's fist to the face.

The blonde was sent flying back, crumbling in a heap before Kurama's snarling maw.

"Oh my gosh Baby-chan are you alright?" Kushina yelled, rushing over to her child. "I was sure you'd dodge that!"

"Ugh… yeah I'm fine." Naruto grumbled. It's not like it had actually hurt. Being neither dead or alive meant she couldn't feel pain.

But that didn't stop her from feeling boredom. So to pass the unknown amount of time, Kushina and Naruto sparred, and when that became boring they traded stories. Kurama periodically antagonized them, stating that because he was still connected to Naruto's seal, he'd just be pulled back onto the living plane with her when she was summoned, pointing out that Naruto's body would be weak enough for him to escape. Because Naruto's life force gave Kurama's seal power, if she wasn't fully alive, that split second between her being fully alive and dead would give the bijuu the chance to escape.

Naruto had continuously pointed out that Harime had probably prepared for his return just in case he'd try to escape after the blonde was summoned.

"Naruto why did you lose focus like that?" Kushina asked, helping her daughter into a sitting position as she fussed over the nonexistent bruise on her child's cheek. "You're usually more alert."

"I… I just felt something." Naruto muttered. "This little pull…"

Kushina's violet eyes widened.

"Baby-chan… it's time." Kushina realized. "You're being pulled back over."

Naruto sat up straighter, only to hunch again as she felt another pull.

"Mom…" Naruto murmured. "Not yet… I'm not ready yet."

"Oh Naruto." Kushina whispered, placing her hands on her child's face, lovingly cupping her cheeks before tilting her bowed head up so that they could lock eyes.

"I don't know how much time we got to spend together, but it was pretty fun, ne?"

Naruto's eyes widened as her mother grinned, eyes squinting closed. But the blonde wasn't fooled, she could see just a hint of wetness clinging to the corners of her mother's smiling eyes.

Naruto pursed her lips, hands lifting up, placing themselves over the gentle ones holding her face.

"Mom…"

"No no…" Kushina shook her head, opening her eyes as her face took on a determined look, even as her voice wavered. "I told myself I wouldn't cry dattebane."

Naruto's heart squeezed slightly, watching her mother struggle to keep a strong face.

"Mom, I don't wanna leave you." Naruto said, startled by her own honesty.

"I don't want you to go either Naruto." Kushina admitted, eyes steadily welling with tears. "But I've just got this feeling y'know? I'll see you again."

Naruto's lips trembled, alarmed at the sting in her own eyes.

_'What the hell…?'_

It'd been a long time. And even though she wanted to, she felt like she needed to, she still wasn't quite crying, even as she watched tears spill out of her mother's eyes.

The blonde winced, feeling an even more persistent pull at her being.

_'It's… it's almost over. I feel it… it's almost time…!'_

"I don't wanna say goodbye." Naruto said, frowning stubbornly. She took note that Kurama had turned his back on them, causing Naruto to silently thank the fox for giving them their privacy.

"Then don't." Kushina answered, giving a watery chuckle. "Say, 'see you later Mom'. But not yet okay? I… I still have something I have to tell you."

Naruto's breath hitched.

"I love you, Naruto." Kushina murmured, leaning down to rest her forehead against her wide eyed daughter's. "No matter what you did, or what you'll do, I will always love you. And I'll be watching, wherever I'll be after this. I'll never stop watching you my precious baby girl."

"Mommy…" Naruto whimpered, throwing her arms around her mother's shoulders, holding tightly onto the woman she had wanted to meet her entire life.

"I liked telling you stories. And I liked listening to your stories. They were really fun, Naru-chan." Kushina whispered, stroking her daughter's unruly hair. "Kinda creepy-" They both laughed. "But still fun. I wanna know even more. More about who you are and the beautiful person I know you'll become, no matter what anybody else says or thinks. Even though I'll be watching, I want you to tell me more."

Naruto gasped as a vicious tug yanked her away from her mother.

The blonde desperately held onto her mother's hands, fighting to pull herself closer as her body began floating up, feet drifting up to the nonexistent ceiling.

"I… I will." Naruto promised, her eyes falling shut, mouth tilting in a loving smile. "I'll tell you all about it when I see you again."

Naruto gasped, eyes flying opening when she felt her mother reluctantly let her go.

Kushina blew her daughter a kiss, smiling wistfully as she watched her daughter float away, out of her reach. Naruto reached out, pretending to catch the kiss, holding it to her heart. Before she could second guess herself, she brought her hands to her own lips, returning the blown kiss. With a teary smile Kushina caught the kiss, placing her hands over her heart to keep it safe, just as Naruto had.

"_I love you!_" Naruto called to her. "I… I love you, Mom."

Kushina curled her fingers in a gentle wave.

"Me too… and I'll… I'll see you, Naruto."

Naruto drifted up, Kurama dispersing in a show of orange light as Naruto returned the small wave, watching a single droplet fall down onto her mother's forehead.

"See you, Mom."

* * *

Karin stared.

"Why… why isn't anything happening?" Shion asked after a long minute.

"I… it didn't work?" Karin rasped, devastation filling her chest before tearing a hole somewhere in her heart. "Why… _why_ didn't it work?"

"A moment." Jorōgumo intoned. "Give master a moment to collect herself."

Fū shot the clone a curious look.

Harime allowed her hands to fall to her sides, perpetual grin disappearing. Without the gleaming of her razor teeth, her face seemed blank. A black canvas with two simple glowing pits for eyes.

Karin's lips twisted in restraint, but she couldn't stop the liquid welling up behind her glasses.

_'Is Naruto… gone forever…?'_

Karin unknowingly sank to her knees. There was a long moment of absolute helplessness before Karin found herself blinking, looking up when she felt Fū place a comforting hand on her shoulder. The redhead stared at the green haired girl, surprised to see concern in her glittering orange eyes.

Fū sank to one knee before Karin, pushing the redhead's glasses onto her forehead before using one of her white arm warmers to gently wipe away the tears spilling out of her crimson eyes.

"Don't give up just yet. You guys are pretty close right?" Fū asked, smiling softly. "I'm sure she'll wanna see you again, ne?"

Karin opened her mouth, and she honestly had no idea what she was even going to say, but before she could utter a sound, the ground rumbled. A gust of unnatural wind tore through the surrounding silence, whipping everyone's hair about as they tried to ground themselves during all the shaking.

Karin's mouth remained agape, her red eyes drawn to the bloody seal drawn in the grass, watching as the symbols began to glow a fluorescent blue tone.

Fū pulled away from Karin, stumbling around to face Harime, using her right arm to shield herself against the winds, wincing as her hair fluttered wildly around her tan face.

"Wh-what's happening?" Shion yelled, voice straining to be heard over the winds.

"L-_look…!_" Yakumo blurted, pointing to the bodies lying atop the glowing seals.

Even though Karin already _knew_, she looked. She felt hope peek out from beneath her sadness.

But when the roaring winds continued to flutter her crimson hair about, Karin knew. They were no ordinary winds.

They were chakra infused.

"This… this chakra..." Karin breathed, watching Harime kneel over her crush's original body, shadowed hand hovering over a swirling seal on the corpse's abdomen that the redhead hadn't been aware existed.

_'This is wind chakra…'_ She continued inwardly._ 'It's **hers**.'_

_Her_ chakra...

"Ah ah ah~" Harime tittered darkly. "I thought you might make an appearance. And I don't think it's such a good idea to have you running about, Foxy-chan… sorry, but I'll have to lock you away. But oh ho ho~ I'm not really. That was a lie, I'm not sorry… Tehe... Fūin~!"

The seal on the original body's abdomen began to glow an odious orange, flaring with malevolent chakra.

"Holy shit…" Fū croaked, watching alongside everyone else as the wounds on the original body began to emit steam, slowly searing closed, new flesh creeping over the bare patches of muscle where Harime had its removed tattoos. The unruly blonde hair splayed about darkened, shifting to an unfamiliar burnt orange.

Harime stood up, throwing her head back and releasing a loud, shrill peal of laughter. She threw her arms out, as if embracing the raging winds that sent her shadowed pigtails about in a crazy dance, arms, teeth gleaming as her laughter grew louder.

Karin felt a chill slither down her spine, and she knew she wasn't the only one.

The redhead shakily stood up, feeling her breath stolen from her lungs when the winds were suddenly snuffed out, disappearing in a single moment.

Everyone froze, and Harime stopped laughing, tilting her head like a curious child as she eyed the new body of Karin's crush.

Karin stared unblinkingly, watching the body she'd helped modify like a hawk.

And she saw it.

A twitch.

One of the fingers of the corpse's right hand twitched.

And then...

The body _heaved._

Karin flinched, watching the corpse's chest arch, back bowing away from the grass. Steam billowed from an open mouth, and skin knitted together, attaching itself to a being composed of living threads.

Still, Karin waited.

The body dropped, limp as a rag doll.

The silence was breached by a great inhale of air.

"Oh my god…" Karin choked, hands slapping over her mouth, eyes squeezing shut after watching that naked chest rise and fall with _life._

_'She's alive...!'_

Karin opened her eyes, ignoring the fresh tears spilling out of them as she rushed passed everyone, falling to her knees before the naked form lying face up.

Karin studied that peaceful expression, kind of thrown off by the lack of whiskers, but knowing that face nonetheless. She'd been the one to replicate it. The one to change Tayuya's face to _her_ face.

"It's… it's really you… isn't it?" Karin whispered.

A single eye cracked open, a familiar two toned orb like the bluest of skies, and the softest of greens.

"Karin…?" The owner of that eye rasped, voice scratchy from disuse.

"_Yes…!_" Karin nodded vigorously, reaching out and grabbing one of the hands closest to her, marveling at how steadily it was growing warm. "Yes it's me!"

Another eye opened. And two beautiful blue-green eyes stared intensely into her own.

"C-can I ask you a question…?"

"Anything." Karin said desperately.

"Why am I naked?"

* * *

**Torii (鳥居 ?)= Bird abode.**

**Rokku (ロック)= Lock.**

**Nuigurumi ningyo= Rag Doll.**

**Note: When Harime said she was lying near the end of the chapter, she was saying that she wasn't really sorry for sealing "Foxy-chan" away.**


	32. Mad Blood

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image.**

* * *

Jorōgumo had gravitated further away for a moment, on the surface, it seemed no one else noticed how closely she was studying Naruto's old body, which now had deep orange hair.

But Jorōgumo could sense those eyes.

_Watching._

Those glowing eyes that she was slowly growing to dislike with every passing day without Naruto to keep the owner of those hungry trenches in check.

_'Curious.' _The clone thought, tilting her head to the side. Her eye sharpened when she saw a single twitch of the body's right hand. _'Harime, what have you done...?'_

Not wanting to wait and find out, Jorōgumo summoned the door to The Underground, knowing the seals on a normal coffin were probably not strong enough to keep_** it**_ contained if it gained control of that body.

_'Hopefully he will be able to help with this as well.'_ Jorōgumo mused, opening the door before grabbing the "corpse" by its orange hair and tossing it down the stairs leading into the darkness of The Underground.

Jorōgumo watched the body tumble down the stairs until it landed in a broken heap at the bottom. That same hand twitched, and the broken neck that the "corpse" had just gained **crunched** as it regenerated, snapping back into place. The limp body lied in the exact same position, but those bloody trenches with missing eyes were no longer empty.

There were blood red eyes in those bleeding sockets, and they _glared. _Slicing up Jorōgumo from where she watched at the top of the stairs.

"What hungry eyes." The solemn clone intoned. Without further musing, Jorōgumo slammed the door to the Underground closed, and dismissed it in a show of blue flames.

_'He is probably well on his way to finding out there are people missing from his village.' _The clone thought. _'Soon. Soon this mess will be swept up.'_

Jorōgumo was pulled away from her current position when she heard Naruto's sleepy voice, and made her way over to her Creator.

The clone ignored Harime as the specter grinned at her, having watched the stitched mouthed clone do what she just did from the corner of her glowing eyes. Smile curling, Harime skipped away, kneeling beside their shared creator.

_'So you knew.'_ The clone thought. _'You knew **it** was conscious and you allowed such a creature to remain in this barrier with us unsupervised.'_

Harime truly had no regard for human life. The clone had no doubt the specter would have simply taken Naruto and fled should things have gone awry and too out of control for her to manipulate. That quiet little speech the shadow being had given about not letting** it** run free was a load of bull. She wasn't sealing it because she cared about not causing mass destruction. She sealed it in that body because she knew she'd probably be able to control it in that body.

For once, Jorōgumo was not solemn.

She was disgusted.

* * *

"Why am I naked?"

Karin threw her head back and laughed.

"God I missed you." She breathed, staring down at Naruto with watery eyes.

"Sweet and sour beetles!" Fū exclaimed. "That was some crazy shit! And it actually worked? That dead body is like… not dead anymore!?"

Jorōgumo swept passed the flabbergasted ex Taki nin, smoothly dipping down to kneel before Naruto's naked lying form, across from Harime.

"Master, you have returned." The clone murmured. "Welcome back."

"Hm." Naruto hummed. "Yeah… tadaima."

Yakumo traded an uncertain look with Shion. Now that the ever elusive "Master" was back, they were unsure how to proceed. What would become of them, now that the keeper of that shadowed monster had returned?

The naked white haired girl studied Karin's teary face, and then she sighed deeply.

"First clothes, then food, and then we can talk about what's going on around here." Naruto grumbled. "Speaking of here, where are we?"

"Somewhere outside of the village." A familiar voice chirped.

Naruto's head lazily lulled to her left, and her white brows furrowed, as she'd meant to quickly turn her head.

_'Weird… my body feels so heavy… I can barely move correctly.'_

Naruto's blue-green eyes met Harime's glowing pits, and she studied her dark other half, noting the specter's usual grin was absent, its place taken by a small smile that Naruto could only see because of the white light that usually illuminated from her mouth.

"Hello again Naruto-chan." Harime said, red eyes arching closed in happiness.

Naruto's mouth tilted up slightly at the corners.

"Hello again Harime-chan."

No more words were exchanged, the specter launched herself at her creator, and crushed her into a hug.

Naruto would admit to feeling comforted by the proximity, but her chakra spiked in alarm anyway, and she stiffened, noticing she had way more chakra than usual. Ignoring the chakra of the Kyūbi, Naruto had an abundance of her own. There was more in her system than there would be without the bijuu.

_'What the…?'_ She thought, brows furrowing. Alarm bells rang through Naruto's senses. Her chakra spiked more violently as one of Harime's unearthly pigtails tickled at her cheek, the specter's clawed hands nearly piercing the flesh of Naruto's back as she clutched at her creator. It was then something occurred to her.

_'This isn't my chakra.'_ She realized.

Naruto's arms weakly lifted up, as if to return Harime's embrace.

"I missed you Naru-chan~"

_'And it isn't Kurama's either.'_

* * *

"Hokage-sama."

The Yondaime Hokage watched solemnly as Itachi Uchiha materialized from the frenzy of crows that had just flown through open the window of his office.

"Itachi-san, what seems to be the problem?" The Kage questioned, staring at the Uchiha from behind his folded hands.

"Sir, one of my crow summons intercepted a message being sent to Suna."

"A message to whom, and on what?" Minato asked, lips pursing slightly.

Itachi pulled his right hand from one of his cloak's pockets.

Between his fingers, was a small scroll.

"It is addressed to Gaara Sabaku, sent by one bearing the name Jorōgumo. It was being carried by a simple rental messenger hawk."

"Rental messenger hawks are only for in village messaging." The Hokage stated, tone dry.

"Precisely." Itachi intoned. "Which is why my summons intercepted the message. It realized the type of hawk being used should not have been attempting to leave the village."

"What is the message?" Minato asked, blue eyes suddenly dark. "In recent months Suna has been taking steps to redeem themselves as our allies."

_'Let's hope they're not planning to spill any more shinobi or civilian blood between our nations.'_

"It simply states, 'Master will rise today'. The date written is today's."

"It sounds ominous." Minato murmured, unfolding his hands and slowly rising to his feet.

_'And Jorōgumo… I know that strange name.'_ The blonde mused, folding his hands behind his back as he trailed from behind his desk, staring into Itachi's dark eyes. _'Naruto said that name before. I know she has… And someone by that name was informing Suna's Jinchūriki of a "Master's" return? Didn't that red haired boy admit to not participating in the invasion out of respect for Naruto? The only reason he wasn't branded a traitor_ _was because those orders weren't given by the real Kazekage, but Orochimaru.'_

The Yondaime's keen eyes narrowed slightly, and Itachi simply blinked, allowing his Kage to muse in peace, even if the man's razor sharp eyes were making him slightly wary.

Something tickled at the back of Minato's memory, and he allowed himself to examine what his subconscious was trying to tell him.

_"Gomen ne, Hokage-sama." Naruto murmured. "I shouldn't have let you see that painting. It was childish of me, and I let my anger consume me for a while. I didn't, uh... I didn't actually eat him or anything... The traitor Mizuki was taken care of by one of my clones, Jorōgumo."_

Minato's eyes sharpened as the memory faded. That time had been right before Naruto went off to Wave and defeated Kiri's Demon swordsman. She had wanted her father to know she felt guilty about throwing that ghastly painting of Mizuki being cannibalized at him.

_'One of her clones?'_ Minato thought._ 'I distinctly remember the Mizukage mentioning the summoning of a clone that ate the flesh of her enemies. One with "beautiful living hair". If that's the same Jorōgumo acting now as then... If one of her clones is acting presently, then that would mean…!'_

"Itachi." Minato interrupted his own thoughts sharply.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Summon Shisui Uchiha immediately. Let no one see you, and bring him to me." The Fourth ordered. "The three of us are leaving for a bit."

If the Uchiha heir found the Kage's sudden orders strange, he didn't show it. The young man simply bowed.

"As you wish."

That was all that was said before his form dissolved into a mass of dark birds.

_'I've been strung tight because of the situation at the gate earlier today, expecting someone to have infiltrated the village…'_ The Fourth paced a bit, lips pursing as he tried to calm the excitement welling in his chest and remind himself that he was supposed to be a damn professional. Not only that, but the absolute best. _'Continuing that train of thought, what if someone wasn't trying to get in… but get out?'_

"Jorōgumo's "Master" has to be Naruto." Minato muttered. "The gate guards were put under genjutsu, and their memories were erased, the ANBU stationed there were incapacitated without serious injury. But they still haven't woken up to give information. Someone… someone wanted to get out of the village without much trouble. And I have a feeling Naruto is at the very center of all this."

Really, Minato should be livid, someone was capable of slipping out of his village without much of a struggle and here he was smiling because he knew the "Master" that was returning today was his baby.

"You have a lot of explaining to do young lady."

The Fourth snorted under his breath and pulled on a serious face, sensing the chakra signatures of Itachi and Shisui closing in.

_'That was quick.'_ He noted. _'Shisui must've been nearby already. Probably visiting Ichiraku's in hope of Naruto magically appearing again...'_

The Kage watched impassively as two tall young men materialized before him, one fading into existence from a black blur, and the other from as mass of crows.

_'Now it's time to get serious.'_

Minato knew that whoever had snuck out had every intention of sneaking back in, carrying on as if nothing had happened with Naruto in tow. Though he was happy that she was apparently alright, he was simultaneously furious that she'd left without permission to do Kami knows what. He'd been worried sick about his little brat, and to cover it up he had been harsh the last few months, behaving in a more cutthroat manner. One that he had not displayed since the Third War. Needless to say, his shinobi and citizens were nervous alike.

He couldn't let Naruto's actions go unpunished, so he'd intercept his daughter and whoever was powerful enough to pull the wool over his as well as his shinobi's eyes and formally punish them, and then smother his daughter in worry behind closed doors.

_'Let's just hope she hasn't been up to no good. I am the Hokage, but I can't sweep everything under the rug, nor do I want to.'_

Well, he'd isolated the situation so that only Itachi and Shisui would be informed of the details but a Kage could never be too cautious.

* * *

Karin couldn't help smiling as she watched Harime hug Naruto desperately.

But soon, her lips twisted down when she felt Naruto's chakra spike unsteadily.

_'That…'_ Karin's pupil's shrank to terrified pinpricks.

The redhead knew.

She'd felt it spilling out of its owners coils in stress for several days on end. She'd felt it furious, hopeless, and desperate. Simply put, she knew that chakra.

_'That is not my Naruto's chakra… it's…!'_

"You…" Naruto muttered.

"Get away!" Yakumo blurted, noticing the change in the atmosphere.

"Hm?" Harime hummed.

Naruto's arms lifted up, limp puppets on strings.

Her pale hands latched on either side of Harime's head, taking hold of each of her pigtails.

"What the…?" Fū trailed off, eyes narrowing slightly.

Shion's brows furrowed in confusion as Karin's breath hitched. The redhead was the only one close enough besides Harime and Gumo to see the whites of Naruto's eyes flood with ink black. The darkness flooded in, as if the blood vessels popped and her blood was the color of poison. But soon, her irises shifted, glowing an inhuman red that was admittedly more unsettling than Harime's empty pits.

"What have you done you disgusting creature?" Naruto growled.

"Huh?" The specter pouted. "Naru-chan? Why do you sound so angry at me?"

Instead of answering, the white haired girl's arm detached at the joint, the stitches holding the two segments together loosening grotesquely, a mass of bloody black threads spilling out of the limb. Naruto's arm length doubled, and even her fingers detached, dark threads causing the tips of her fingers to stretch far away from her palm. Naruto swayed to her feet, her left hand released Harime's right pigtail, and roughly took hold of both.

"Ouchie Naru that's not nice!" The shadow whined.

Harime's perpetual razor grin was absent, flipped upside down in an almost comical frowny face.

"And you, you red haired psycho." Naruto spat, demonic eyes slicing into Karin, who flinched violently. "Maybe I should rip off your face hm? See if you can smirk at me then you bitch!"

Karin screamed as Naruto's free arm whipped out and her hand took hold of her face. The mass of threads that was the Uzumaki's arm was twisted in what looked like excruciating pain, so that the hand that grasped Karin's face was upside down, detached fingers curled under the trembling girl's chin.

Naruto's black painted nails bit into the soft skin under Karin's jaw, hard enough to draw little half moons of stinging crimson.

Karin grimaced, helplessly pulling at the monstrously strong appendage holding her captive. She could just cut it off, with her reverse Mystical Palm the Dead Hand, but she didn't want to hurt Naruto.

"N-Naruto…" She whimpered.

The threads pushed both Karin and Harime several feet away, Naruto's detached digits still holding them in painful grips.

"And you…" Naruto gritted, twisting her head behind her to glare at Jorōgumo. "A useless bystander. I'll rip you apart and see how you like it when everyone stands and watches!"

The stitched mouthed clone simply tilted her head in question, baffled by her creator's sudden rage.

The art at Naruto's back peeled away, flapping open so that two pillars of threads could swarm out, twisting about to wrap around Jorōgumo's neck and both of her ankles. The clone didn't fight as she was lifted like a hogtied animal, even though her new position was perfect to either pull until her head popped off, or her body was torn in half.

"Wh… what are w-we supposed to do? She just went c-crazy!" Shion stuttered, hands clutching Yakumo's right arm in fear. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't think the new girl is one to cross."

"Tch." Yakumo bit her lip. "I'm not sure, but we can't just let her kill them."

"Why are you two flapping your lips like we have time for that?" Fū huffed, a snarl pulling at the right corner of her top lip. "Right now, it's time to move!"

With that, odious orange chakra expanded from her coils, and before anyone could blink, beautiful insect wings were sprouting from her back, her orange eyes alight with a powerful glow.

The new appendages began fluttering at blurring speeds, and Fū lifted off the ground. With a battle cry, the green haired girl launched forward, straight towards Naruto, hands forming a hand sign before her chest as it puffed up, the green haired girl drawing air into her lungs.

"Eat this freak: **Hiding in Scale Powder!**"

Fū expelled a great gust of glittering wind, straight into the Uzumaki's livid snarling face.

Naruto cursed, squinting as the glitter sparkled, shining so brightly it was painful to her eyes.

Harime and Karin were dropped immediately as Naruto's limbs reeled back in, appendages audibly snapping back into their sockets, threads curling up to coil tightly and hide beneath her skin.

While her Master was distracted, Jorōgumo slipped from the slackened hold of the strands restraining her, falling flat on her face and simply laying there.

Naruto's hands slapped over her burning eyes as she hunched over in agony, her tattoos slapping back into place, micro threads tightening to hold the teen's skin together.

"What are you doing!?" Naruto hissed, teeth bared and clenched as she shielded her eyes, even as Fū's jutsu began to disperse into the atmosphere. "Who the hell are you anyways!"

"We could ask you the same thing!" Shion spat, glaring at the naked hunched teen.

Yakumo pursed her lips in disapproval.

"Control yourself!" The Kurama heir snapped. "Just who are you to come here and behave this way?"

Fū' stood before Naruto, perhaps foolishly because she was close enough to touch.

Karin was behind the green haired girl, and the Uzumaki cradled her stinging chin with a ginger grip.

"What's gotten into you Naruto?" Karin gasped, wincing as trails of red trickled down her throat from her wounded chin.

_'No… I know.'_ Karin thought. _'Her suddenly going berserk threw me off, but-'_

"Naru-chan is mean!" Harime huffed, wobbling to her feet beside Karin.

The whitette pulled her hands away from her eyes, and everyone recoiled at the steaming rivers of blood spilling out of her devilish eyes.

Naruto bared her teeth, her sharp canines causing Shion and Yakumo to inch subtly back.

"I'll _kill_ you." Naruto growled.

Fū bristled in outrage, insect wings fluttering in annoyance at her back.

"Hey man, what's your problem?" The green haired girl snapped.

"Her chakra…"

Karin's uncertain tone drew the attention slightly away from Naruto, who's terrifying face was mad with rage, blood giving off steam as it spilled down her snarling face.

"That's not Naruto's chakra that's leaking everywhere." The Uzumaki said.

Harime's droopy expression somehow sagged even more, and Yakumo inched away from Naruto, noticing the blonde's tattoos were rippling, threads beneath her skin slihering about in unrest.

"If it's not hers… then who…?" The specter whined.

"Tayuya." Fu growled.

"Eh?" Harime pouted. "But she's dead. I helped Karin-chan kill her."

Jorogumo shook her head slowly.

"Master's dolls are souls trapped in sacks. Rotten fleshed stuffed in fraying bags…"

Harime's pit-like eyes narrowed.

"Oh dear." She said, dropping her act, causing everyone except for the silently stewing Naruto and her stitched mouthed clone to flinch.

No one was paying as much attention as they should've been, because if they were, they'd know Harime trapped Naruto in a shadow possession, and that her action was the only reason why they weren't mincemeat all over the barrier guarded clearing.

"What?" Shion demanded, posture curling in fear.

"The sorriest of the sorry in the Toy Box," Harime began, flat tone identical to Naruto's usual voice. "They're all skinned, stuffed in life sized dolls, and the chakra left over from the corpse gives them life. The chakra residue creates a soul of sorts. An existence that only acts on its creator's feelings in their last moments. Whatever they were feeling as they were… well~"

"Torn apart." Jorogumo supplied, unmoved by the disturbed looks she was receiving. "Dismembered, remade, and utterly disrespected as living beings. The result is mindless killing machines. Creatures that kill indiscriminately and despise all, only with enough memory to know who reduced them to such a state, but being so seeped in darkness, they are careless as to whom they harm to destroy the one who killed them. They take their rage out on others. They almost revel in it."

"So… what does that mean?" Fu asked grimly, eyeing the fuming Naruto from the corner of her sparkling orange gaze, finally noticing the new comer's shadow was attached to Harime's. _'That's probably the only reason she hasn't tried to kill anyone again. Or, she's trying… she just can't right now.'_

"It means that whatever is left of Tayuya's chakra is in Naruto's system." Karin whispered, clasping her trembling hands before her chest as she studied her infuriated crush from a safe distance.

"It's driven her mad." Yakumo realized.

"Oh, that's been happened." Harime supplied carelessly. "It's just amplified now. Plus, all of the people who are the focus of Tayuya's hatred are right in front of Naruto. I'll bet my Naru-chan's really confused inside about all the stuff she's been spewing, and how angry she is."

"I… it's because it's not her. It's Tayuya's leftover chakra acting through Naruto." Karin offered faintly, trembling hands twisting nervously before her chest.

"So…?" Fu trailed off, pursing her lips as Naruto gnashed her teeth, muttering madly about dismembering them. "How do you fix her? She was totally chill a second ago, and now she's gone ape."

"Again, that's why I said, 'oh dear'." Harime muttered, yet again visibly surprising Yakumo and Shion at her flat tone. "I don't know how to fix this."

Karin pushed her glasses up her nose, studying Naruto as the girl's body art rippled with the living threads beneath her flesh.

Karin was about to suggest simply sealing Naruto into her coffin until they could figure out what to do, but something tipped off her keen senses.

"Crap!" The Uzumaki blurted.

"**Speak**." Harime growled.

Karin pursed her lips, spitting out orders before she could stop herself. "Jorogumo, summon Naruto's coffin. We've got company."

"As you wish." The clone intoned, simply swiftly ripping a bit of stitching away from her neatly sewn glasglow smile. Yakumo and Shion winced away, but watched the clone in morbid curiosity as she dropped onto all fours, blood trickling from her jawline, seeping from between her bleached teeth and dribbling onto the grass, immediately withering the greenness to a drab crumbling gray.

Jorogumo began elegantly drawing seals.

Karin could sense three powerful chakra natures. One belonged to the Uchiha Naruto had introduced her to. She was not embarrassed to admit to herself that the thought of him serious petrified her.

Shisui Uchiha.

The other was similar, but she didn't personally know the source's owner, though she had seen him in the forest of trees that had been at Naruto's death site. Shisui had said his name, and they looked too similar to not be related.

Itachi Uchiha.

And the third...

A shrill sense of fear flared up within Karin.

_'We are so screwed…'_ She thought.

"Yondaime has come for us."

Fu's pupil's became visible, shrinking to terrified pinpricks as Yakumo's arm hairs raised on end, even as Shion clutched the left one in uncertain fear. The green haired girl spoke for everyone conscious:

"Fuck."

* * *

**This get's shittier and shittier every time I update. Sweet and sour socks I am so sorry you guys. You're all awesome by the way.**

**Thanks for all the support and laughs you give me.**

**Here's to finishing this story soon.**


	33. Guess Who's back

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Dead silence pierced the atmosphere.

"Wh-what?" Yakumo stuttered, speaking for everyone present except for the restrained and snarling Naruto.

"Drop the barrier Shion," Harime commanded, alarming the priestess. "The gig is up, by now he's at least recognized Karin's chakra signature."

"Oh dear." Jorōgumo hummed, standing up from her position on the grass, the blue flames she summoned dying down and giving birth to a cherry colored coffin.

"There are some faces Yondaime should not see here." Harime said, her tone flat with annoyance.

With no further prompting, Jorōgumo summoned two more coffins. A pink one, and an orange one. She pushed open the lid to the pink one and silently gestured for Shion to get in.

"What!" Shion huffed, stomping her foot and crossing her arms in outrage. "Why _me_?"

"Do you think Yondaime knows who you are?" Karin spat. "He'd want to know immediately why members of his village are outside of said village without permission surrounded by a powerful barrier, with, may I remind you, people he has never seen a day in his life. People that are quite obviously trained in the shinobi arts. Sounds like a case of possible treason to a village leader, ne?"

Fū's eyes went wide.

"Wait, does this mean that the orange one is for me?"

Naruto snarled and fought against the shadow possession Harime had her under, everyone ignoring the fact that Shion had wandered off to release the torii gates.

"Get in now." Harime growled.

Fū bristled whilst Yakumo's hazel eyes widened, startled.

"Now hold on Harime." The ex Taki nin huffed, crossing her arms. "I can see why you'd want to hide us, but do you really think that attitude is necessary?"

Harime cocked her head to the side.

"Are you questioning me?"

Fū's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

"Dunno. You threatening me, psycho-sack?"

The orange eyed girl looked to her right, surprised to find Shion standing there, tugging on her arm warmer nervously. The torii gates were gone, as well as the flaming seal guardians. She'd done her task swiftly and as quietly as possible.

The fair haired girl shook her head, casting an unsure look at Harime.

"I'm sure Harime made it clear to all of us how important Naruto is to her. Naruto's in enough trouble as it is I'm sure. She's been gone for a long time and to be here all of a sudden with people that don't belong will only make things worse."

Fū pursed her lips, before she wiped the frown off her face with a sigh.

"I know," She admitted, before stabbing Harime with a sharp look. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Fū whirled around, retreating into the depths of her summoned coffin.

"You better make this up to me, Harime."

Jorōgumo pushed the lid closed, making the release sign and sending the box away with a simple poof of smoke.

"I don't have to do anything." Harime chirped, sending Shion scurrying into her own coffin without even having to look at her with her tone.

Jorōgumo pushed the pink lid closed and sent the Demon Land priestess away with a simple gesture.

Quick as a whip, Harime released Naruto from her shadow possession, and Jorōgumo blurred in movement, Karin's eyes going wide, as she'd never seen the clone move so fast.

The stitched mouthed clone tackled Naruto into her own coffin, and without having to be prompted Yakumo darted forward, pushing the lid closed, before turning around and resting her back against it, huffing out a sigh.

"I hope Jorōgumo-san will be alright in there with her."

"Oh, that blood cesspool with be fine, she'll have knocked Naruto out while she was surprised." Harime waved away, releasing the coffin summon with a poof of smoke. "If not? Well, I'm sure she'll figure something out."

Yakumo wondered why she was even offended by Harime's lack of concern for others at this point.

"And then there were three~" Harime tittered, form sloshing down and slithering across the grass to hide in Karin's shadow.

"And then there were two." Yakumo muttered, trading a worried look with Karin, wondering what the hell they were going to do.

The seal in the grass that had summoned Naruto's soul from the in-between was a giant circle of scorched dirt, hiding from anyone coming to investigate what had been there.

There were similar scars in the earth where the coffins had been summoned.

"There's no way we can cover this up." Karin said, crossing her arms and gnawing on her lips in concern. "Unless… unless we say we were training."

Yakumo pursed her lips before shaking her head.

"No one will buy that. We have no reason to train together, we can't come up with a believable lie, they're too close. We'll have to stick as close to the truth as possible."

Karin huffed.

"We'll probably be interrogated by members of T &amp;I. Yondaime will sense treachery." The redhead said, shoving her glasses further up her nose.

Yakumo shivered.

She did not want to be interrogated.

Konoha may be known for it's teamwork, but it was like any other shinobi village in terms of traitors, spies, and anyone else shoved behind a cell for interrogators to pick the minds of.

It was actually renown for its T&amp;I department.

Yakumo knew she'd crack under serious pressure, and to be honest, she'd rather face the infamous Morino Ibiki than suffer the consequences of being caught when Harime got to her.

"Tehe, don't worry, I've got a plan~" Harime's voice floated up. "No matter how angry Yondaime may be when he finds what's going on here, he wouldn't cause serious damage to you for what you did."

Yakumo rose a brow in question, staring at Karin's shadows, but Harime did not surface. Just remained still and untraceable.

Said redhead's eyes widening behind her spectacles.

"What do you mea-" She stiffened, cutting herself off when a figure blurred into existence across the clearing, a mass of crows following, splitting up and flanking each of the crouching figure's sides, forming two more figures.

Yakumo's eyes went wide, recognizing the lanky man that uncoiled from the position and stood to his full height beside his two raven haired subordinates.

Karin made sure to drop her arms at her sides, so that the three formidable shinobi before her could see her hands and that she had no intention of resisting.

Yakumo followed her example, trying to seem as non threatening as humanly possible.

Sharp blue eyes flashed from point to point, taking in the details of the surrounding clearing. The owner of those razor eyes sliced into Karin, making her bite her lip as he took note of the blood trickling down her throat from when Naruto grabbed her, nails carving into the underside of her chin. Those blue eyes then went to Yakumo, and the girl had to fight not to flinch.

"Alright," Minato said deliberately, making both girls stiffen at the emotionless tone. "Explain. _Now_."

Without prompting, Itachi, to the Hokage's left drew his katana, and to his right, Shisui drew his tantō.

Karin swallowed.

"U-um… well…"

"Maa, maa, no need to be so mean about it~"

* * *

Shisui pulled himself together, from the jutsu he and Itachi had created that allowed them to take the form of a murder of crows.

He stood beside his Hokage, at the blonde man's right, Itachi materializing at their leader's left.

Shisui felt his mood deflate, spotting Karin, Naruto's new friend and relative, sensing his old partners chakra in the air but seeing no sign of her. There was another girl present that he was acquainted with, probably a little older than Naruto, and obvious signs of jutsu use in the perimeter.

_'If this is a cover up, you're doing a really bad job at it, Karin.'_ The Uchiha inwardly gritted.

Not only had Shisui lied to his Hokage about not knowing anything about Naruto and if she'd be returning, he'd allowed that thing to erase Itachi's memory of seeing Naruto dead, and continued on as if nothing was amiss for his own peace of mind.

He just… he wanted to see Naruto again.

Shisui had watched over Naruto, nurtured her, trained her, and seeing her void of life... it was like someone punched a hole in his chest. He'd been so shocked he didn't feel anything at first, but after a moment, pain slammed into him with such force it was all he could do not to cry. It was like awakening his mangekyo all over again.

It was like someone ripped a part of him away and crushed it before his eyes.

All Shisui had wanted was for Naruto to open her eyes. For her to grin at him and shoot sassy remarks from behind her weird face mask that she insisted was "wicked cool".

So he'd lied.

He'd lied to his Hokage, and he lied to his best friend.

Now, Shisui wasn't a sensory nin, but Naruto's chakra was dense enough after being released in large quantities to leave a trail of sorts. He recognized the feeling in the air she left behind after discharging a vast amount of chakra, and he knew that Yondaime, a man who was apt at chakra sensing would recognize the chakra signature of his own child. It was only a matter of what the blonde would do with the two girls who so obviously were acquainted with Naruto who was very much alive, even if not present.

_'Now would be a great time to lend your friends here a little luck Naruto,'_ Shisui thought, trying to stomp down the relief rearing its head at the thought of his old charge being alive. _'Hokage-sama does not look pleased with whatever the hell these kids have been doing to bring you back.'_

"Alright," Minato said deliberately, making both girls stiffen at the emotionless tone. "Explain. _Now_."

Itachi, to the Hokage's left drew his katana, and never one to be shown up by his kohai, Shisui drew his tantō.

Karin and the girl beside her traded uncertain looks. Swallowing, the redhead made to speak.

"U-um… well…"

"Maa, maa, no need to be so mean about it~"

Everyone tensed as Karin's shadow suddenly rose up.

Shisui and Itachi moved to engage, stopping when the Yondaime held up a single hand to halt their actions.

Shisui's eyes widened when a black pair of arms slipped around Karin's neck from behind, and a grinning face with a glowing grin and blaring red eyes snuggled her cheek, long black curling tendrils sprouting from either side of its head.

_'Harime.'_ Shisui gritted, having to remind himself wherever the creature was, Naruto was never very far, or at least, the thing knew how to get to her.

"Papa bless," Harime tittered, red pits arching happily when the Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly at her appearance. "You came all this way just to see little ol' me~?"

Shisui could almost feel Itachi's confusion. He'd be wondering what the hell Harime was to if he was in his friend's shoes, not to mention as usual the shadow being had no concept of tact unless it suited her own nasty goals. She'd called the Hokage papa, that would raise some questions.

Even Karin shivered at the creature's cheerfully tone, though Shisui imagined over the months she'd gotten quite acquainted with Naruto's darker other half. The redhead turned slightly to study the creature's grinning profile.

"P-_papa_?" She stuttered, glasses sliding down her nose.

"Oh, don't read too much into it~" Harime chirped. "I doubt the people's beloved Kage would make much of a father, he's got more important things to worry about than nurturing a kid. He probably wouldn't have any time for one, and would only brush them aside. Sounds awfully lonely, ne?"

Damn.

Shisui could feel the sting of those words and they weren't even meant for him. But Harime just grinned wider and cocked her head to the side.

No one but Harime noticed how Minato tensed just a smidge at her jab, and it made her grin coil at the ends with sinister amusement.

"Ara ara, I'm just stabbing your insides~"

_'Don't you mean poking fun?'_ Shisui thought flatly.

"I'll stop, really," The specter promised, still embracing Karin from behind. "I'll tell you everything I promise, but 'Tachi-pon's gotta go, don't wanna trigger any memories, the backlash could turn his brain to putty."

Shisui's hand tightened around his tantō. That's right. Harime had sealed Itachi's memory of seeing Naruto dead, as well as seeing the specter itself. Speaking of situations revolving around that day could trigger the sealed memories and cause Itachi harm without being unsealed properly.

_'Why not just unseal him then?'_ Shisui thought.

As if reading his mind.

"I don't want too many people peeping this y'know?" Harime chirped. "Yondy and 'Sui-kun are enough eyes for me. Maa, a girl is entitled to her secrets, ne?"

"Just myself and Shisui-san." The Hokage said deliberately, ignoring the questioning look Itachi sent him subtly.

The younger Uchiha of his two companions was obviously wondering why the Hokage was entertaining going through with the strange apparition's demand.

"You say that, but what of Uzumaki-san, and Kurama-san?" Minato continued.

"Oh my cute little minions?" Harime giggled. "Why? You want me to send them away? It's not like they'll be able to do anything with you and Shisui here. They know enough anyways. But 'Tachi-pon doesn't need to know, and I'd rather not have him having any dirt on my poor other half."

_'So that's what she get's out of making him leave.'_ Shisui thought. _'Hokage-sama and I know already, we've got the dirt on Naruto and won't use it against her, but Itachi is uncertain. He's the Uchiha heir, soon to inherit his clan, and him knowing too much about Naruto could be dangerous, for Naruto that is.'_

Though Shisui doubted Itachi would ever have ill will towards Naruto, simply because he knew Shisui cared about her, Harime was probably never going to trust anyone but Naruto.

It was simply apart of her twisted nature.

She saw the potential evil in everyone, because she herself was evil personified.

"Very well," The Hokage nodded once. "Itachi-san, please return to the village, proceed as normal."

Itachi bowed slightly, not questioning his orders as he sheathed his weapon.

"As you wish, Hokage-sama." The young man then dissolved into a black mist, his form becoming a handful of crows before fleeing skyward.

"Nah, I changed my mind." Harime said, turning her head and looking straight at the girl Shisui didn't know. "Yakumo-chan, you go back too, my Naru-chan's apartment must be lonely."

The newly unveiled Yakumo's brown eyes widened.

"B-but-"

She didn't get to protest much because with a wave of Harime's hand, a pink coffin rose up from behind the pale girl and gobbled her up, bursting into blue flame not soon after.

Minato's expression darkened.

"Uzumaki-san, would you like to begin by explaining why it is you are an accessory to an assault on my shinobi as well as the reason for partaking in an unauthorized journey out of the village, while on probation to become a full blown citizen?"

Said redhead paled at being so directly addressed by the coldly staring man.

"Come now, why so formal?" Harime drawled. "All of us here know those nin were knocked out so we could come here, and all of us know we came here for one thing. And that thing is the reason you sense her chakra in the air."

"I don't believe I was speaking to you, Harime." The Hokage said stonily.

Harime's grin dropped, instead, twisting into a monstrous sneer that Shisui had never seen on the face usually stained with gruesome cheer.

"And I don't believe I give a fuck." She growled, making Karin flinch before she unwrapped her arms from around the bespectacled girl and made her way around her. "The bottom line is, Karin is Naruto's friend, and Naruto was missing. Second, Yakumo interests me, so I keep her close. Third, the two of them helped me find my missing Naru."

The relief Shisui had been trying to push back returned full throttle at the verbal conformation of Naruto's return to the living.

"Don't go spewing anymore crap about me merging with Naruto." Harime said. "Obviously, I can't go back because I'm my own entity, the real problem is, I got Naruto, but she's not herself. She mad with rage that isn't her own and I'm pretty sure there's a dead girl's vendetta slamming around in her brain. All this shit, and I don't know how to fix it, so help me."

Shisui was taken aback.

Never, and he meant _never_, did he think he'd see a day where Harime admitted to needing help, or actually ever _needing_ help. She always seemed to be several steps ahead of everyone else, even Naruto, and with this development, Shisui was worried, because if things were bad enough with his old partner's mentality that Harime was worried about it, he wasn't sure things were as good as they had seemed to be getting.

The Hokage's jaw tightened.

Shisui thought his Kage was taking the situation remarkably well, but then again, The Yellow Flash didn't become Hokage losing his nerve in bad situations, nor losing his tempers at disrespectful foul mouthed pigtailed creatures.

"Harime," The Hokage began. "What have you done?"

"Why don't I show you instead?" She asked flatly. "I'll tell you as we make our way there."

"Where's "there"?" Shishi finally spoke.

Harime summoned a familiar blood red coffin.

"Why, into the jaws of terror my friend."

Without making sure that they were following her, the specter turned her back in strode into the only depths of the coffin that clicked open all on its own.

Shisui and Karin traded a look, deciding it was best to save the questions for later and follow the Yondaime, who had calmy trailed after Harime.

_'She's so arrogant.'_ Shisui inwardly shook his head at Harime. _'Showing the Hokage her back like that. Doesn't she have any sense of self preservation?'_

She just admitted to leading two citizens of Konoha out of the village unauthorized, and she was skipping along like nothing was wrong.

Harime lead everyone into Naruto's Coffin, giggling when they stared in wonder at what lied within.

At first, it seemed there was nothing but pitch black atmosphere, but suddenly, a path lit as they drew in deeper, the lid to the coffin closing behind them with a _click_.

On either side of the group of four, was a single floating candle.

The candles were twisted up, colored red and black like odd candy canes.

With every four feet they gained, another floating candle flickered to life from above, lighting a path along the black and red checkered floor.

"W-what is this place…?" Karin breathed. "It's physically impossible for such a long path to be within a single coffin."

"Oh, you should know by now the wonders of Fūinjutsu Karin-chan." Harime tittered.

"You did all this?" The Uzumaki asked, red eyes sparkling behind her glasses, despite the situation.

"Right before me and my Naru merged." The specter declared happily.

"That's the second time you've mentioned merging." Karin pointed out, confused.

"Oh yeah, you don't know, do you?" Harime's head turned all the way around as she skipped along, her red eyes glowing more prominently in the near darkness.

Karin shivered.

"I was born from Naruto's brain." Harime giggled, sharp grin stretching impossibly wider. "She was crazy you see, so in her sadness she made me, and I took all the pain for myself and moved her along when she was too sad to go on. After a while, she split us apart and gave me my own body, a few more things happened and we had to merge, but that didn't really work out, probably has something to do with me being so independent now, but I was left with this form as a result."

_'So she really doesn't know why she's still separate either.'_ Shisui thought._ 'It's probably too late to put her back. And to be honest… I don't think it'd be safe to put her back in Naruto's head.'_

Karin's jaw had nearly hit the floor, and everyone stopped walking for the time being.

"W-wait!" She stuttered, shoving her glasses up her nose. "You're telling me you're Naruto's split personality given a form with Fūinjutsu!?"

"Yeah, so?" Harime grinned, head spinning back around foreword.

"Enough." The Hokage finally intervened. "Harime, you have a lot of explaining to do, and so does Naruto, so take us to her, and while you're at it, start clarifying what's going on."

"Fine fine~" Harime whined.

"This is where Naru-chan and I created our technique to fuse our separate bodies together. We call it Blood Shadow Fusion. Further into that technique are the Reaper Modes, different levels of power gained as we merge our bodies more closely together and up our power output."

"Oh, Tayuya was mumbling about that at some point." Karin blurted. "Naruto fought her in a Reaper mode while carrying a, and I quote, "giant ass scythe"."

"Mhm~" Harime hummed proudly. "In the first form Phantasm we use a chain scythe, in the second Head Hunter, it's a normal Scythe, and in the third, Harbinger, it's… well, I dunno~"

"What do you mean you don't know?" Shisui huffed.

"I mean I dunno." Harime said in a pouty tone. "We can only hold it for a little while, not long enough to use a weapon, let alone form one."

"What does that have to do with anything?" The Hokage deadpanned.

"Tehe~" Harime laughed. "Basically, this is Naruto's hideout, where she can rest and train in peace."

"Why didn't you just say that?" Shisui muttered.

"Can't I show off a little, jeez." The specter complained.

"Do you think this is a _joke_?" The Hokage demanded coldly, making both Karin and Shisui look at him in surprise.

"I thought I told you everything is a game." Harime said flatly. "Which means I don't take many things seriously, which further means I probably view everything as a joke. You really want me to answer your question?"

The Hokage became a yellow blur without the aid of his signature jutsu.

Harime didn't make a sound when she was lifted off the floor by her pigtails, the Hokage's silently furious blue eyes stared unflinchingly into her own glowing red pits.

The same circular shadow that was always under her feet was still there, even as said feet swung several inches off the floor, a few black tendrils still connecting Harime to the oddly shaped shadow.

"I was wrong." The Hokage said acidically. "You are _not_ her. Maybe at some point you had been apart of her, but you've grown into something despicable."

Shisui and Karin watched with wide eyes as the Yondaime held the single most terrifying thing they'd ever met up by her hair, a three pronged kunai positioned against a cheek no longer marred by a wide grin.

Infact, Harime's mouth was a single flat white line, only noticeable because the inside of her mouth illuminated light.

The red lights in her eye sockets dimmed a tiny bit with her lack of grin.

"You don't think I know that?" Harime asked flatly, staring right back into those murderous aqua eyes. "Put me down._ Now._ Unless you want to stay in this coffin until you're all driven insane?"

"H-Hokage-sama?" Karin stuttered, staring at his back.

Without a sound, the Hokage tossed Harime to the floor, and she sprang back up.

"Fine," Harime said, foregoing the usual cutesy tone. "That's how you want to do this, okay then."

Shisui listened as Harime began spinning a tale, his dark eyes growing darker and darker at everything Harime and Karin had done in the process of reviving Naruto, who the Hokage had learned just then had had her heart torn to ribbons by one of Orochimaru's snake summons.

* * *

Karin listened to the tale she already knew.

The Uzumaki was not surprised when Harime left out recruiting Fū and Shion, as well as the places of their operations, such as the Forbidden Library and the Underground. Shisui and the Hokage were under the impression that all of this was done in The Gallows.

The only thing Harime admitted to doing in Taki was stealing their forbidden technique Jiongu. She told the Yondaime about blackmailing Yakumo into helping with her plans, and sealing away Karin's empathy for others involving gruesome tasks. She told him about Jorōgumo showing up and trying to stop Harime from giving the Kurama heir a heart attack.

"Before you showed up, Jorōgumo sealed Naruto's old body away." Harime said.

"Where?" The Hokage demanded.

"How should I know? You're gonna have to ask her." Harime lied.

Karin flinched when Shisui began emitting killing intent.

Karin knew the Uchiha knew that Harime was aware of where Jorōgumo had sealed the body.

The Uzumaki did not want to cross Harime, so she kept her mouth shut. She knew she didn't have the whole story behind the sealing of Naruto's old body, she hadn't even noticed Jorōgumo had done that.

But she did know the hair had turned orange for some reason.

Without all the facts, she wasn't going to ask Harime anything, especially not under the scrutiny of such high level nin.

Though, Karin doubted the Hokage was just going to let them get away with all they had done.

The Uzumaki would bet her medical jutsu that the Yondaime was going to send her and to T&amp;I after they found Naruto.

She was actually quite surprised that he'd mostly went along with what Harime was doing instead of doing just that.

_'His chakra is angry, probably from Harime's antics, but he's also… worried?'_ Karin's red eyes bulged. _'Wait… what is his connection to Naruto? Why is he going so far to see her personally?'_

Suddenly, Naruto's unmasked face flashed in her memory.

Karin's fellow Uzumaki was definitely female but… that face… she had seen it somewhere else.

Sharp red eyes, bore into the Hokage's back, watching as Harime began leading them through the flickering candlelight once more.

_"Papa bless," Harime tittered, red pits arching happily when the Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly at her appearance. "You came all this way just to see little ol' me~?"_

_"You're telling me you're Naruto's split personality given a form with Fūinjutsu!?"_

_"Yeah, so?" Harime grinned._

The Uzumaki went over those words over and over again.

_'NO WAY!'_ Karin's mind finally screamed._ 'N-Naruto… my Naruto is the Hokage's daughter!?'_

No wonder Harime had been antagonizing the Hokage so much. She resented him, based on some of her jabs, the Yondaime had probably neglected Naruto in some fashion.

_'Now… a lot more things make sense.'_ Karin thought, oddly calm.

The checkered path suddenly widened into a large square, and in the center of the room, though the darkness above was so thick it didn't appear to have a ceiling, there was a gold throne with red velvet padding, the same twisting red and black candles illuminating it in a floating circle above.

"Oh, no…" Karin whispered, hands flying up to cover her mouth at the sight lying before them.

The Hokage and Shisui said nothing, simply watched as Harime drew closer to the extravagant seat, and the gruesome heap lying in it.

In the throne, was one Jorōgumo, lying slumped over its seating, one of those odd twisting candles was shoved several inches into her forehead, trickles of red running down from the wound and over her eyepatch. There was another two puncturing either side of her throat, and a last one staked into her heart.

Her stitched mouth was slightly open, and her single eye stared off into nothingness.

"What do we have here?" Harime drawled. "Playing possum, Jorōgumo?"

Karin flinched when Jorōgumo's eye suddenly blinked, and her right arm lifted up, taking hold of the candle lodged in her skull before carelessly ripping it out with a wet squelch, placing it onto the seating below her.

"Shhh, be more quiet." Jorōgumo murmured, geysers of blood squirting out when she yanked away the two candles skewering her throat, placing them alongside the first. "Too much noise makes Master uneasy at this point. My speaking is what made her so violently attack me."

The clone finally pulled free the weapon stabbed into her heart, dropping it to the checkered floor with a surprisingly loud clatter.

_'What are those candles made out of!?'_ Karin inwardly yelped.

"Pity, seems she missed your kill spot." Harime tutted.

"Pity you don't have one, Harime." Jorōgumo intoned, thumbing away a bit of blood on her chin.

"Oh, sassy." Harime titled her head. "What's gotten into you?"

"You see what you've done?" Jorōgumo asked blankly, not bothering to acknowledge the specter's previous inquiry. "Master is infected with some else's madness, and now we need someone else to fix it."

The clone's single eye bore into the Hokage.

"You are informed of Naruto's current plight?"

"Yes." The Yondaime nodded once. "This Tayuya… she left behind residual chakra."

"Affirmative." Jorōgumo said. "Master is further ahead, she ran off after she attacked me, arguing with what remains of Tayuya's consciousness."

"And what is further ahead?" Shisui spoke up, grim.

"You've passed the entrance, this is the Resting Place. Because Master rarely sleeps she sits in this chair when tired." Jorōgumo explained. "Further in is the Wardrobe, where she keeps all of her spare training clothes and weapons while within the coffin. She has probably armed herself and is at the very back of the coffin."

"What's after the Wardrobe?" Karin asked, swallowing audibly.

Jorōgumo's single blue-green eye flickered from person to person.

"Behind the Wardrobe is the Graveyard."

_'A graveyard inside a coffin?'_ Karin thought, almost flatly._ 'Literally nothing about you makes sense Naruto.'_

"It is the place where Naruto creates new jutsu. There are graves of sorts that serve as reminders of her failures as well as motivation to create more powerful and successful jutsu. She will most likely be there, perhaps trying to make sense of what is happening to her. It is a place where she thinks well, even in a mad rage."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Harime drawled. "I told you, we're going into the jaws of terror, and none of you have reached fear yet."

The holes in Jorōgumo's flesh were steadily healing closed, but instead of following after Harime like the rest of the intruders upon Naruto's Coffin, she sat herself in the gold and velvet throne.

Lacing her hands elegantly in her lap, she crossed one of her legs over the other and allowed her single eye to close.

"You all go on ahead." She murmured. "I will remain here, to greet my Master when she truly returns."

The Hokage didn't seem to have any qualms about that, so Shisui remained silent, both of them following Harime, and Karin following them after one last awed glance at Jorōgumo.

"We'll continue on because I doubt we have much time." The Yondaime threw out behind him. "But you will tell me where you've sealed Naruto's original body, Jorōgumo."

"Very well." The clone intoned.

They didn't get three feet away from the throne before a loud echoing cackle froze them all in their tracks.

"GUESS. WHO'S. _BAAAACK_!?" The voice singsong.

Karin noted the Hokage's chakra spiked slightly in alarm, along with Shisui's and her own.

_'Well, I guess if I heard my kid sounding like that, I'd be uneasy to.'_

They all began walking further past the Resting Place, towards the Wardrobe.

After that, Karin knew she'd meet terror in The Graveyard.

* * *

Soon the square platform of the Resting Place merged back into the walkway of flickering candles.

Though, underneath each candle, after every four feet, was a tall black wardrobe on each side of the walkway, most of them had a single seal tag keeping them closed, the kanji for "lock" painted in blood across the stark white paper.

Karin wrapped her arms around herself, unnerved by the quiet and dark atmosphere.

_'Naruto has probably spent a lot of time inside this coffin. It's… it's so gloomy. Why… why would she do this to herself? Why would she lock herself in such a dark place? Why would she rather "rest" in a chair in a coffin instead of sleep in her bed?'_

Why were there so many things she didn't understand or know about Naruto?

Karin flinched violently when a wardrobe to her right slammed up and down.

"W-what the hell!?" The Uzumaki stuttered, gaping at the thing as the doors violently shuddered as whatever was behind them slammed itself against the wood over and over again.

The seal paper strained from the excessive force.

"Keep moving meatbags, they're hungry is all." Harime called up ahead.

"What… is they?" Shisui asked, not reacting as more of the wardrobes began shuddering as whatever they had in them began slamming against the doors.

"That doesn't matter does it?" Harime asked. "Just strange little creatures created with Blood Release. Naruto locks them up so when she goes to get a weapon or a training outfit she gets a little bit of a warm up before training."

"She sets traps up for herself?" Karin asked.

"Pretty much. It keeps her on her toes, because she never knows which wardrobes she put one of those things in."

_'Well… it kinda makes sense.'_ Karin admitted.

"Why are we moving at such a slow pace?" The Hokage asked flatly, making Karin flinch once again.

"Would you prefer to sprint through unknown territory Hokage-sama?" The specter asked emotionlessly.

Karin sensed the irritation in the Yondaime's chakra signature, as well as the exasperation in Shisui's. Everyone knew Harime was baiting the Hokage because she was pissed about how aggressively he'd been treating her.

"Stop wasting my time." The Hokage intoned.

"You perceive Naruto as a waste of time?" Harime mused blankly. "Good to know."

Karin's eyes widened when the Hokage's chakra spiked in alarm before being expertly wrangled in. The Uzumaki knew she could only sense as much as she could from the Yondaime and Shisui because she had such a high aptitude for chakra sensing, but they were good at keeping themselves in check.

"Oh dear," Harime's soft statement stopped everyone in their tracks, and they all gathered around her.

The shadow being was studying a heap of white hair coiled in the center of the walkway.

"Who's hair is that?" Shisui wondered. "Look, there's damage. It was pulled before being severed with a sharp object."

"Hey, there's streaks of red in it." Karin pointed out, dropping into a crouch and allowing her finger to follow the path of crimson running stark through the strands.

"It isn't blood." Harime noted. "It's pigment. Naruto's Blood Release is probably slowly being awakened within Tayuya's body."

"So, it's Naruto's hair." The Yondaime murmured.

"I thought it was Naruto's "new body"." Shisui muttered darkly. "You seemed pretty happy to tell us you and Karin tortured a girl to put Naruto's soul in her corpse."

_'Another thing Harime left out.'_ Karin noted._ 'The fact that both she and Naruto had agreed to use Tayuya as a backup plan should Naruto die and her body was too damaged to resurrect her in.'_

"She was an enemy nin that was helping the traitor that killed the Sandaime." Harime deadpanned. "You want to pull the morality card? What would have been done to her in T&amp;I? Nothing much better, probably worse, because we gave her antiseptic and pain killers."

"Only because you didn't want her to die from infection or the shock of being cut open." Shisui sneered.

"_So_?" Harime snarled back. "So I put her corpse to use. The village would've pulled the jutsu she knew from her brain after torturing as much intel as they could out of her and killed her."

Karin shivered when Harime's glowing pits blazed brighter, the red going white for a moment as her mouth twisted into a sneer. Unconsciously, the Uzumaki shuffled away from the group, towards the right and farther back.

"I may be a monster, but at least I don't act like I'm not." She growled. "You are monsters in human skin, so you get to lie all you want, but don't preach to me when the way I am is no different from the things you have done and will continue to do."

"Maybe you're right to some degree." Shisui admitted. "But there's a line no one, human or not, should cross. And that line is supposed to keep you from messing with the dead and playing with people's souls. It's why you're in this mess in the first place."

"Didn't I just tell you not to preach to me?" Harime demanded. "I'm getting tired of all the self righteous shitstains in the village and elsewhere always thinking they get to control me. Haven't you figured out that's why I'm as fucked up as I am in the first place?"

"_Enough_." The Hokage said for the nth time that day. "This is Naruto's hair, but why would she have cut it?"

"Take a deep breath." Harime commanded, seeming to have calmed down. "What do you smell?"

Everyone did as instructed, taking in the scent surrounding them.

"It smells like blood." Shisui murmured.

"Old blood, and death." Karin added her two cents, not moving closer to the others. "There's probably a corpse nearby, from the stench, it's been dead a while, probably already underwent rigor mortis."

"We're in a pocket dimension, that doesn't tell us anything." Shisui said. "The body could've been dead for a day before being sealed for several months."

"Why would you be telling us to sniff out a corpse, Harime?" The Hokage asked.

"Did I ever say it was a corpse." Harime returned darkly. "Shisui, you noted Naruto's hair was pulled before being severed."

"Yes," The Uchiha nodded.

"Well, what do we know? We're in an area called the Wardrobe where Naruto keeps her weapons and spare clothes. Jorōgumo informed us Naruto would probably arm herself. Also, when she arrived, she was naked."

"She probably picked up some clothes as well." Karin said. "But wait… didn't you say..."

"That Naruto sets traps for herself and doesn't know where she put them." Shisui realized.

"Exactly." Harime nodded once. "She probably opened a trap wardrobe, and whatever creature sealed inside attacked her like she created them to do. It pulled her hair, and she cut it off with a weapon from the open wardrobe to escape. This is where the hair fell."

"Wait, we can still smell it around." Karin said. "Did Naruto not kill it?"

"Probably not, she gives these creatures kill spots to make sure she gets a little of a challenge as a warm up. The kill spots are always random, and of course, she doesn't bother to remember which ones go to which creature. That wouldn't be as fun."

_'Of course she had to make it difficult.'_ Karin thought, outwardly shaking her head.

"She probably couldn't find the kill spot and ran." Harime finished.

"So, what do we do?" The Uzumaki asked. "Obviously it's still in the Wardrobe hall and didn't follow her into the Graveyard."

"The creatures of the Wardrobe are programmed not to follow Naruto into the Graveyard if she escapes. This way, when she returns from training exhausted, she still has to fight. Fighting while exhausted is one of her favorite pastimes because it also keeps her on her toes." Harime explained.

"Well, I don't want to deal with this on the way back." The Hokage spoke up. "We're not here to play any games, we're here to find Naruto and bring her back to the village. Everyone involved will be punished for their actions accordingly."

Karin gulped.

_'Please anything but T&amp;I. Anything but execution.'_ She thought. _'Hopefully when we bring Naruto back to her senses she can get the Hokage to go a little lighter on us. His chakra is… furious.'_

"Your orders Hokage-sama?" Shisui inquired.

"The creature dies now, and then we keep moving." The blonde man said. "I'm growing tired of this."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The young man drew his tantō without further prompting.

"Oh, would you look at that." Harime said, tone easygoing. "Looks like our little friend came to greet us."

Karin's pulse hitched when she felt warmth on her back.

A gust of breath slithered across the back of her neck.

_'Oh my g-'_

She barely had time to choke out a scream before something took hold of her hair and she was snatched clean off her feet.

Shisui whirled around, midnight eyes wide as he watched the Uzumaki be yanked up into the darkness and from sight.

"Did I say little friend?" Harime drawled, dragging the partial attention of the Uchiha and the Hokage over to herself.

"I guess it wouldn't be too little if it could grab someone that quick and haul them out of sight with such force."

"Do you seriously not care that someone who should be close to you is probably dead?" The Uchiha snarled.

"Maa, maa, do you want the honest answer, or something that will save your delicate little feelings?" Harime teased maliciously.

"Quiet." The Yondaime ordered. "It's close."

A moment later, Karin's glasses clattered to the floor, the cracked lenses shattering on impact.

Shisui noticed they were covered in fresh blood.


	34. Terror in The Graveyard

**I don't own Naruto or the cover image.**

**Beware, for there's blood a'spillin'.**

* * *

A thick silence settled heavily upon the dark atmosphere.

"Hokage-sama?" Shisui questioned.

"Hunt it down." The Yondaime ordered, pulling out a three pronged kunai.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Shisui dashed to the right, near where Karin had been taken, leaping up and onto one of the dark wardrobes there. The twisting candle floating atop the wardrobe was high enough to reach his chest, he was illuminated by the candlelight, but about six inches above his head as utter darkness. He drew his tantō, charging the blade with flame. After a pause, the Uchiha leaned closer over the back of the wardrobe. He seemed to be studying something, before he stood up and leapt up once more, form swallowed by blackness.

"Oh, am I gonna get to see the infamous Yondaime in action?" Harime asked in false cheer. "For such small fry? It's just a modified little blood clone. I'm sure Shisui can handle it."

"You expect me to stand by and watch after one of my citizens was taken by whatever that thing is?"

"I dunno. You seem to do whatever you want, and I was under the impression you didn't want to waste any more time."

Without bothering to answer, the Hokage leapt up into the wardrobe opposite of the one Shisui had.

He too studied his surroundings before disappearing in the same manner.

Had he stayed a moment later, he would have seen Harime's grin wither to a grim line.

"I wonder…" She murmured. "Which one of Naruto's monsters has come out of the closet?"

* * *

Holding his blade, Shisui flipped it around in a reverse grip.

He stretched out his senses, before channeling chakra into his tantō, causing it to burst into crimson flame.

The extra light gained by the blazing flame allowed Shisui to see a bit more clearly in the candlelight. He leaned closer to the blackness behind the wardrobe.

He noticed something.

There was actually a wall behind the walkway created by the tall closets.

But oddly enough, it was made of hands.

Pitch black humanoid hands.

There were rows and rows of clasped hands, and as his flaming tantō bathed them in light, they unclasped, fingers curled, palm up.

When he took the light directly off of them they laced their fingers in rest again. He could faintly hear the soft clap noise of their subtle movements as he experimented with putting light on them and taking it away.

Aiming his tantō further down, he noticed their was a drop into nothing about a foot wide between the back of the wardrobes before it turned into the wall of black hands.

_'The abyss below or the black hands above.'_

Without needing to contemplate that further, Shisui shined his light on the clasped hands, and all the ones lit up by his flame unclasped.

He leapt forward, from the wardrobe and over the foot wide abyss below.

He plummeted for two seconds before his sandals landed on the first pair of hands that had unclasped.

He slipped a bit, and a pair of hands next to him took hold of the wrist holding his flaming tantō.

The feel of its ink black skin was disturbingly soft, and warm. It was so wrong because if Shisui didn't know better he'd think he was holding a normal hand. The hand of a living being.

_'Are these things conscious…?'_ He wondered. _'Naruto… what the hell are you spending your time doing when we're apart?'_

"Thanks." He said instead.

A hand next to his head gently patted his unruly curls in acknowledgment.

That quickly motivated Shisui to keep moving, placing his fire lit blade between his teeth as he began to hop further up, accepting the helping hands silently when offered after the light made them unclasp.

He was moving for about minute, when his strained senses picked up something.

First, the smell.

It was as if he'd walked into the back of a meat market, where they kept all of their rotting waste.

Next, the sound.

Or lack thereof. It was deadly silent.

He couldn't see much of anything, and he'd be damned before sticking his tongue out. But he felt something with the extra sense all shinobi had.

Something was tipping off his heightened sense of foreboding.

Shisui let his feet drop from their footholds, moving his tantō to his right hand, grasping one of the opened pair of hands above his head on his left. The hand automatically tightened around his own as he let himself sway, now firmly holding his fire lit blade.

The Uchiha looked up, stiffening at the ghost white face a mere few inches from his own.

He shivered involuntarily.

The face was weathered with age, belonging to a woman, bulging lavender eyes set into too small eye sockets, but the most prominent detail was the large sagging grin slashed across the lower half of her face.

She had no teeth.

Not one.

Scarlet ran down into the crinkles at the corners of her wrinkled mouth from her raw gums.

Hanging from her left earlobe, because the right was a fleshy hole that had been ripped away, was a pair of bloody pliers.

When they met eyes, her grin pulled wider, and tendrils of saliva and blood dribbled from her mouth, landing on the tip of Shisui's nose and sliding down his paling face.

"Rotten little child…" She rasped.

_'I need some distance!'_

Without thinking, Shisui let go of the black hand holding his own.

"Leaving so soon?"

He plummeted into the darkness below, away from that lisp, that toothless bloody mouth, and those mad mad eyes.

_'What… what the hell was that!'_

* * *

Harime waited in the center of the walkway dubbed the Wardrobe.

Five minutes.

Both Shisui and the Yondaime had been gone for about five minutes. She didn't know for sure because within a pocket dimension she had no accurate concept of time unless she mentally counted the minutes. Which she quite simply was too lazy to do.

After contemplating whether or not she should just go to Naruto without them, (even though she knew she needed at least Yondy's assistance), the Yondaime appeared in a blur atop the wardrobe he'd vacated minutes before.

"What did you find?" Harime asked.

"That creature… it's quick, scurrying about, above and around us using the hands embedded in the walls." Minato said quietly, blue eyes slicing into Harime accusingly. "That is not just a modified blood clone. It's a cluster of corpses."

"Oh, so it's that one." Harime muttered. _'The Hag… Just Naruto's luck to stumble upon that closet.'_

"What are you mumbling about?" Her father demanded. Or was he Naruto's? What was he to her anyway? She supposed she couldn't have a father because she wasn't a person. She was a dark fragment of a person.

She was an inexplicable anomaly.

"Maa maa," Harime hummed, glowing eyes arching closed as her mouth curved into a smile as close to normal as she could get. There was no teeth, just a small white curve. "You're right, it's a cluster of dead bodies that Naruto's been keeping sealed for quite some time. Only in recent time were those corpses assembled around a blood clone and moved into this coffin. The clone acts as the "brain". This specific clone was created to operate on bloodlust, and from time to time utter offensive jabs. It's Naruto's way of facing some of her past demons you see. She was trying to teach herself not to rise to words or faces that act as negative triggers on her psych."

"Quite some time?" Minato echoed. "How long, that could be four months or four years ago. Naruto is a Fūinjutsu master, so how long has she been keeping those corpses?"

"Hm… let's see, Naru-chan is thirteen now, so probably around six years." She mused. "Oh? What's this, you look surprised."

Minato shook his head.

"Why would she..."

"They were her first kills." Harime clarified blankly. "The reason she finally lost it and began to form my personality."

Minato closed his eyes slightly, as if in mourning.

"You're different." Harime observed, cocking her head to the side.

"What are you talking about?" The Hokage muttered, rubbing a tired hand down his face, as if he was as fucking tired as Harime was of all of the things she had to endure.

"Almost calm." Harime said, giving nothing away of her inward spike of irritation. "Must be because we're alone for the time being. Seems like you instinctively treat Naruto or me like shit in the face of others."

Minato stiffened at that cheerful statement.

He opened his mouth, and Harime was almost positive he didn't even know what he was going to say, but she cut him off, the same as he had done to Naruto over and over again throughout the years.

"Oh! Lookie here Yondy, the Hag has come to play with us."

The Hokage jumped back and Harime glided away when a bulky form plummeted from above, slamming into the center of the walkway.

"Oh my, look at that." Harime hummed. "She is pretty scary isn't she? Naruto made her look just like the thing in her nightmares."

The form that had descended upon the Wardrobe straightened. The most distinctive part of the thing was its center. The creature's upper half was that of an old woman, her eyes were wide with madness, her stringy hair shoulder length and unkempt, a pair of pliers hanging from her left and only ear. She wore a ragged floral bathrobe with burgundy splotches all over it, blood soaked, fuzzy blue slippers were attached by clumps of her ratty white hair and slung over the back of her shoulders to hang over her chest like ornaments.

To the Yondaime's silent horror, eleven men served as her legs. They lacked heads, the stumps of their necks fused grotesquely with the sagging mass of skin that should've been the Hag's lower half.

The headless men were nude, unmentionables covered by scraps of bloody fabric, bodies bent over backwards at odd angles, arms hanging down to drag at the floor uselessly, fingerless hands raw with fresh sporadic stitching. There were three on each side of the Hag, one positioned in the front, and another in the back. The headless men, forever in bridge like positions moved efficiently, twenty two legs scuttled about, despite the fact that the feet attached to them had no toes.

The Hokage straightened slightly in posture, his blue eyes freezing over and mouth flattening to a grim line.

"I'm through playing around." He intoned.

"Little monster." The Hag rapsed, blood bubbling out of her grinning maw. "Going to hurt us again? Hehe, that's all you're good for, bloody little puppet…"

Harime flinched on the sidelines, but the Hokage either didn't notice or didn't care.

Minato's arm flashed, and in the blink of an eye his tri pronged kunai sank deeply into the Hag's forehead.

She howled, bulk stumbling back before there was a bright flash of yellow and the Hokage was upon her. He descended, his left hand taking hold of the handle protruding from her skull before he swung his body around swiftly, sandals landing lightly only the chest of the headless man serving as her back leg. In a spray of gore, the Yondaime ripped his weapon from her skull, only for his hand to blur again and for the soiled blade to be stabbed into the side of her throat.

He whipped out another kunai, flipping it between his fingers before impaling it into the other side of the Hag's throat.

Harime watched as the woman's bulging eyes rolled around in her sockets madly, a horrible inhuman screech tearing through her toothless mouth as she reached behind her for the Hokage. Her bloodied fingers took hold of his neck, scrabbling for purchase, red smearing across the high collar of his cloak as a result of her lack of fingernails.

Before she could yank him over her shoulders, with a sharp, fierce gesture he dragged his right kunai across her jugular to the other, before pulling it free, the left soon following before he stabbed her in the throat one, two, three more times, each time the blade piercing her flesh deeper. The third time had her head soon tumbling from her shoulders in sprays of crimson.

The Hokage leapt off of her bulk before he could be soiled by her blood.

Watching with keen blue eyes, Minato tilted his head slightly when the cluster of corpses slackened, the eleven headless men collapsing onto their backs as the freshly decapitated Hag slumped, her head rolling slightly away from the bodies.

"Too easy." Harime hissed from the sidelines. "There's no way Naruto would have put its kill spot there. Anybody could cut off someone's head, it's not a challenge for the kill to be that simple."

The Yondaime's eyes sliced into the shadowed being, lips thinning.

"What exactly is a kill spot anyway?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, a spot struck in order to cause death." Harime huffed, noting the blood staining down the Hag's neck and entire front from Minato's brutal display had somehow reached the floor, and was connected to the puddle forming under her unruly head.

"Naruto's creatures, along with Jorōgumo and the Wardens are equipped with seals that protect them from normal damage that could cause them to dispel. With these seals activated, the one who bears them can only be killed with a specific killing blow. If you don't hit the spot where the main seal lies, whatever bears the seal will just continue to reform."

As if on cue, the Hag's slumped form twitched, tendrils of blood forming from the puddle around her head, sprouting from the gore soiling her front.

"Yondy," Harime called. "You are the Hokage, why don't you just seal it away again?"

The blood tendrils dragged the Hag's head across the floor, before it was yanked into the air, centered above the creature's grievous wound, and brought down before the blood began the process of stitching her head back to her neck.

The pliers hanging from the Hag's only ear twinkled in the candlelight as they swayed from side to side.

Minato's eyes narrowed.

_'A kill spot hm?'_ He mused, flicking the blood from his blades. _'Conventional wounds won't do. So let's look at small things. What seems so incapable of being vital that Naruto would make it vital?'_

What did the damn abomination even have left? She-_-it,_ was an assemble of wounded parts. Obviously the corpses making up the creature dubbed "The Hag" had been tortured before death. Or was it tortured _to_ death?

_'What did Naruto leave intact?'_

No teeth.

No toes.

No fingernails.

_'The fingers themselves aren't it. The hands have been mutilated. So what…?'_

No ear.

She only had one ear.

It was such a long shot that it made perfect sense.

"Looks like I won't have to seal anything." The blonde intoned, sliding away his kunai.

A gust of wind blew through the isle created by the wardrobes, and the candles above them were blown out in an instant.

Nearly all that remained was darkness.

Red light illuminated from the pits of Harime's eyes, and interestingly enough, the pliers dangling from the Hag's ear caught the menacing shine.

"Do it." Came the Yondaime's blank command.

"Oh look at that," Harime hummed lightly. "Coming to our rescue, bloodbag?"

The specter looked up, not surprised to find the high darkness above breached by a red light not her own.

Several feet wide was a thick red web, intricate, zigzag lines connected the black hands embedded in the ceiling like constellations.

A thick, glowing red line tumbled down from the web above that was not thread at all.

It was hair.

Jorōgumo, hair trailing her descent, landed behind the Hag in the same position that the Yondaime had previously, standing on the chest of the headless man serving as the creature's back leg.

"I come to rescue no one." Jorōgumo murmured. "This is Master's monster, and she alone will overcome it."

The Hag screeched, craning her upper body around, saliva and blood dripping and spraying out of her mouth at the wordless cry.

"Rotten little child!" She baited. "Evil, hopeless little puppet!"

"Your words do not move me." Jorōgumo deadpanned, single eye somber as the light her hair gave off became brighter, and the strands framing her face began to grow longer, slithering through the air, coiling around the Hag's snarling face. The strands seemed to almost caress her, before tightening with suffocating force.

The cluster of corpses struggled, the headless men stumbling about blindly as the old woman at their center fought, trying to claw at the hair engulfing her face.

"Rest peacefully in my web until Master comes for you." The one eyed being intoned, simply stepping off the chest of the headless man she stood upon, her hair growing even more, wrapping around the Hag's scrabbling hands, pulling them apart whilst another heap of glowing hair tied a noose around the creature's neck.

Jorōgumo's hair then gave a great heave, even as she stood still at the Hag's side, and the creature was snatched off of its legs, hoisted up despite its bulk, and screeches of protest muffled by the clone's hair.

Minato and Harime watched as the hair around the Hag's neck and wrists drew her higher and higher, towards the web winding through the black hands in the ceiling.

The eleven headless men dangled uselessly as the Hag was ensnared, and then wrapped completely in a ball of glowing hair.

The cocoon the Hag was forced into twitched, but she did not emerge from her prison.

"So this is the "beautiful living hair" the Mizukage mentioned when she briefed me on her side of the battle during the invasion." The Yondaime noted, blue eyes studying Jorōgumo.

"You're skilled with that technique, able to control so many different paths of hair at once."

"I suppose." The clone offered tonelessly.

"Ara ara, I thought you weren't gonna leave the Resting Place until Naruto truly returned, Jorōgumo."

"I did not." The clone answered. "I am a blood clone connected to the main Jorōgumo through the network of chakra created by our hair."

"A clone of a clone." Harime muttered. "That's kinda funny."

Instead of speaking Minato looked up, noting that the web of glowing hair, now centered by a large cocoon, did have another path leading back the way they'd all come.

The real Jorōgumo was probably still sitting in that odd throne, hair extended to the ceiling just like her clone's, stretching all the way to the middle of the Wardrobe where they were, manipulating the web and even more paths of hair from afar.

_'Such power, and she's only a clone.'_ The Hokage thought. _'How much have you grown, Naruto?'_

If this was a piece of ability from Naruto, how dangerous had she become under Danzo's tutelage?

"So, the Hag is taken care of, can we go?" Harime asked.

"I wanted to end this here," The Hokage began.

"Hokage-sama," The Jorōgumo clone requested. "Please allow Master to be the one to defeat that creature. It was created because she had something she needed to prove to herself. If you simply destroy it, it would have been for nothing."

_'It shouldn't have been dealt with this way.'_ He thought sharply. _'Naruto's inner demons, her guilt, she deals with them the wrong way. I know it's my fault, but this cannot go on. She will just continue on in this cycle of insanity if she doesn't learn healthy ways to deal with her pain.'_

"Please." Jorōgumo whispered. "_Please_."

Minato wanted to sigh.

Instead, he stood up taller.

"For now I will leave that creature be." He decided. "I didn't come here to hunt down such things. I came here to find Naruto and right the wrongs you all have set into motion."

"Very well," Jorōgumo murmured, bowing her head. "Even still, thank you."

Minato's lips thinned.

He should never be thanked in reference to Naruto.

He never did right by her, no matter his intentions.

"Well, I suppose you will want them back now." The clone said quietly.

Neither Harime nor Minato had the chance to respond before a heap of red hair heaved over a wardrobe to the left, and another to the right.

The hair on the left uncoiled, and Karin flopped face first onto the checkered floor, limbs akimbo. Shisui was released from the right, catching himself and rolling smoothly into a crouch.

Minato rose a single brow in question.

"Shisui, report."

The Uchiha snapped to attention, rising to his full height and following his orders.

"After I found that the hands embedded in the walls unclasped when lit, I began my pursuit of the creature hunting us. I ran into the target but once I realized I wouldn't be able to fight well with no solid ground I dropped down to gain a bit of distance. I didn't fall long before Jorōgumo's hair swarmed me from all sides. She simply told me to not be alarmed and that the creature was to be left to her. I didn't have much of a choice in allowing her to do as she pleased because she had me restrained in unknown territory."

"Understood." The Yondaime nodded once. "In the future, please be more aware. A shinobi of your stature should not be so easily overtaken. Though, I do realize you probably trust Jorōgumo to some extent because of who created her, please remember to keep your orders in mind."

Shisui bowed his head in shame.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

With a groan, Karin finally came to from the dead faint she was in, pushing herself up on shaky arms.

"W-what the hell!?" She blurted, looking around wildly in the near darkness, as the only light was coming from the different paths of Jorōgumo's hair.

"She had been taken by the creature and I arrived just in time to knock her out and wrap her in a protective cocoon of my hair." Jorōgumo explained for the other redhead. "The creature only had enough time to lick her glasses before I came to her aid. They fell in my effort to retrieve Karin-san from Master's monster."

"Well that explains the bloody glasses." Harime grumbled.

Karin shivered violently, remembering that horrible, grinning, toothless face and that blood slicked tongue slathering gore across her lenses.

"Well, looks like the gang's all here and we just experienced something completely pointless, so let's go." Harime drawled.

"I will show you the path." Jorōgumo offered, a lock of crimson extended from one of her side bangs, coiling down to the floor. It began stretching off into the distance, lighting the way.

"Why are the candles blown out?" Shisui asked, watching the lit up hair illuminate the checkered path.

"There are wind seals hidden between the hands in the walls." Harime explained. "If certain amounts of chakra are discharged, they automatically activate to blow out the candles."

"This teaches Master to fight in unfavorable situations." Jorōgumo continued for her. "And also, it serves to help her endure."

"E-endure what?" Karin stuttered, wiping a bit of dried blood drool from the Hag from between her brows.

"The dark." Jorōgumo murmured. "When Master knows there is something in the darkness waiting for her, she hates it."

"Alright alright," Harime intervened. "What is this, blabber on Naruto day? Let's just go already, Naruto isn't getting anymore sane."

The Hokage simply began following the path of glowing hair leading further into Naruto's coffin.

"Aren't you even a little relieved that Karin is alright?" Shisui couldn't help but ask.

"Back on this subject?" The specter asked, not looking back as she trailed behind the Yondaime. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. I doubt you could handle my answer anyway."

Shisui didn't say anything else, his mouth pursing in a grim line.

Karin stumbled after the trio.

"W-wait!" She sputtered, pulling out a spare pair of glasses from the pouch she always had fastened around her waist.

Sliding them on, Karin cast a look over her shoulder, wanting to thank Jorōgumo for saving her.

But there was no one there, just a fountain of hair trailing from the intricate web in the ceiling and through the Wardrobe, towards the Graveyard.

* * *

Finally the mitch matched group reached the end of the path provided by Jorōgumo's hair.

As if sensing her assistance was no longer needed, the ends of the hair curled, and the strands began to be drawn away, further and further into the darkness behind them.

"Ah, there she goes," Harime hummed, head spinning back around to face forward where the path widened out into a large expanse of black and red checkered flooring.

The Hokage stepped closer first, and as his sandal met the floor, candlelight flickered to life from above. In the center of the massive assemble of black hands in the ceiling, was a large ruby chandelier, the same odd twisting candles that had been lighting the path from the entrance to the coffin positioned throughout the artful piece.

The chandelier lit the whole area, which was circular, the surrounding walls embedded with more black hands that unclasped under the steadily burning light. Scattered throughout the space were actual tombstones of various sizes, shapes, and appearances.

Karin watched the Hokage step before the first gravestone, a black sculpture modeled after a rag doll, the eyes round and centered with diamonds. Carved across the surface of its chest, were seals, and beneath that an inscription reading: _"Here lies Mina's Legion._"

"What does this mean?" Karin wondered, crimson eyes wide as she pushed her fresh glasses up her nose.

"Mina's Legion is the first Jutsu Naruto created." Harime explained. "It's unimportant, but it's at the entrance of the Graveyard because she considers it her first failure in the creation of jutsu."

"What is "Mina"?" Karin couldn't help but ask, growing suspicious when she sensed the Hokage's chakra become cold and heavy with guilt.

"Mina-chan is a toy Naruto made a long time ago." The specter muttered. "She made even more, modified with Blood Release a little later, but she was still a little kid. They weren't very strong, and they couldn't protect her from the one she created them to kill."

_'Who did Naruto want to kill?'_ Karin wanted to ask. But of course she didn't, though her curiosity grew even stronger when she found Shisui and the Hokage seemed to know exactly who Naruto had desired to erase, exactly who had led her to create a legion of soldiers only to find they were not strong enough for her cause.

"This tombstone…" The Hokage uttered lowly. "Its serves as a storage seal as well."

"Hai hai,'" Harime shrugged carelessly. "That's right, Mina's Legion is literally within that grave. Break the seal and they'll come out to play."

"So all of these tombstones…" Shisui murmured.

"Mhm," Harime nodded. "Jutsu Naruto perceives as failures, or notes she sealed away to review at a later date to pursue something else if she found herself stuck on a theory."

_'This is amazing…'_ Karin breathed. _'But also… so sad. She gave the things she created graves. She buried parts of herself because she views them as failures… how… how must Naruto feel coming to this place?'_

Karin didn't get to contemplate further, as the Yondaime stepped around the grave of Mina's Legion, striding through the assembly of graves.

"No more." He declared. "This ends now. Naruto is here, and we will fix what's going on. Move in."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Shisui said, following behind his leader.

"If I could roll my eyes I would." Harime grumbled.

Karin rushed after them, clasping her hands before her chest, crimson eyes studying this way and that, ready to spring into action at anymore.

Some gnarly thing was not going to be getting the drop on her again.

The group moved silently through the Graveyard, and surprisingly, there was no sense of foreboding, nothing jumped at them, or attacked them. Nothing. The Graveyard was as quiet as their footsteps.

_'There's so many graves.'_ Karin thought. _'So many ideas had gone through Naruto's head… and the creatures of the Wardrobe… is this why Naruto doesn't sleep? Why would she want to? Even when she's awake all there is around her is nightmares…'_

Karin's face contorted bleakly.

"Oh!" Harime chirped, startling the Uzumaki. "Lookie lookie over there you guys~!"

Karin's crimson eyes followed the dark claw to where it was pointing, and sure enough, there was a reason for Harime's sudden excitement.

About eight feet away, off to the right, Naruto sat slumped against a large, white, cross shaped grave. Her hair was shielding her face, and she would have been disturbingly still if not for the subtle rippling the art on her skin was doing from the Jiongu beneath her flesh. Her body was clothed in a black, short sleeved, high collared jumpsuit, and her feet were bare.

Harime took a step towards the slumped girl, and Karin's breath hitched when the Hokage flashed behind her, only for his outreaching hand to be repelled with an audible _zap_. He snatched his hand back with a tsk.

"A barrier." Shisui noted grimly.

"Mm." The Hokage confirmed.

"Uh oh~" Harime's head turned in that unnatural way of hers. "Did I forget to mention that there's a barrier this far into the Graveyard that keeps out chakra signatures not belonging to myself or Naruto?"

Karin began trembling when she sensed the killing intent seeping from the Yondaime.

"Harime, what is the meaning of this?"

"Don't worry~" Harime said, her lost grin returning, curling at the corners. "If things get dicey I'll let you in. After all, I brought you here to fix Naruto if there's something really wrong. But I've got a feeling all that residual chakra from Tayuya has burned out."

"You manipulative little _snake_." Shisui hissed.

Karin's eyes were impossibly wide.

Even when they'd been caught, Harime had a plan? Karin was positive Harime had no idea the Yondaime would catch her, nor that Tayuya's chakra would drive Naruto mad, but even still… she found a way to manipulate things to her liking?

She was still somehow using them?

For some reason, Karin hadn't really realized until that thought how terrifying Harime actually was.

_'Was this the terror Harime was talking about?'_ She wondered. _'No… this isn't it. It's not shocking enough. I… I guess she just meant the symbolism of this place in general. Because everyone here undoubtedly cares about Naruto, we would be terrified to see the extent of her pain. Terrified that she was capable of hiding such things from us, because even though we thought we knew her… we really actually knew nothing at all.'_

And Karin had a feeling that there was a lot more to be revealed.

"I hope you realize this treachery will not go unpunished." The Yondaime said coldly.

"Whatever." Harime taunted. "Nothing you do to me will matter. The only person capable of hurting me, is her."

Harime's head spun back around, turning to gaze at the "her" she was referring to, stepping away from the barrier and closer to her creator.

"Ah, there you are Naruto. You know, we've been through quite a lot coming to get you." Harime chided cheerfully.

But Naruto didn't share the cheer. She stood slowly, flesh rippling from the living threads inside of her, freshly red turned hair shielding her eyes as she faced the shadow she created.

When she looked up, even though those eyes weren't trained on her, Karin shivered.

Naruto was livid.

No one present had ever seen such a quietly furious expression on her face.

"What did you do?" Naruto growled darkly.

"Harime, release the barrier immediately." The Yondaime demanded, reading the dark mood.

But he was ignored in favor of Harime cocking her head to the side as if curious, back still to the trio of people she'd lead into Naruto's Coffin.

"Now that doesn't sound like Tayuya at all." She mused, foregoing the happy tone completely. "Do you have something you want to say to me Naruto?"

"WHAT DID YOU DO!" Naruto roared, making Karin flinch.

Harime remained unmoved as she flatly retorted, "You said you didn't mind."

"Only if my body was damaged beyond repair!" Naruto spat, her right arm rippling, separating at the joint in what Karin knew was beyond her control, black threads spilling from the segment, causing her hand to thump onto the checkered floor, still connected by the mass of threads.

Naruto looked down at the out of control limb, before glaring up at Harime.

"Look at me." She demanded. And more uncertainly, "What did you do..? Am… am I even still human?"

Karin's heart _ached._ Never had she seen Naruto so unsure. Her strength, her pride... that's what had drawn the Uzumaki to Naruto in the first place, but now she was seeing that there was so much more to Naruto. So much more that she hadn't been allowed to see in the short time that they had become friends.

_'Why do you hide Naruto? I know you're strong… but what are you really like?'_

But Karin didn't get to muse any longer. Because she sensed something.

With Naruto's last quiet inquiry, something changed in Harime. Something snapped. And Karin was petrified, because she hadn't thought there were any more threads within the specter left to snap.

"You...?" Harime's voice drifted off on a dangerous edge. "Are_ you_ human? A few stitches and you're questioning your fucking humanity? Do you _hear_ yourself Naruto?"

Naruto bristled at the specter's tone.

"What are you talking about?" She growled.

"Look at you?" Harime snarled. "Look at _me!_ Just look, and tell me if you see anything _remotely_ human about me."

Karin felt her eyes go wide, and she sensed the absolute shock in the chakra signatures of the Yondaime and Shisui.

The redhead knew both of them, along with herself, had been under the impression that Harime didn't care about her lack of humanity. But the way she was snarling at Naruto, how angry she was, told a different tale entirely.

Harime had lost the composure no one knew she had been keeping up, and she was angry, the most angry any one of them had ever seen her. And it was at _Naruto._ It…

It was staggering.

"What about you?" Naruto demanded, gesturing wildly with her still intact arm. "Tell me! I don't know because you don't tell me anything. You keep these secrets when you're supposed to be apart of me, you do these things and when there's consequences you're angry. Tell me what's going on. You want me to understand, but you don't trust me enough to _let_ me understand you!"

"I don't trust you?" Harime barked an ugly laugh. "What about you? You were so disgusted and mistrustful of me you tore me away from you when I was "supposed to be apart" of you."

"That's not fair and you know it." Naruto huffed.

"Oh, I know it." Harime said in a maliciously smiling tone. "But we also both know that many thing's aren't fair, and whether you like it or not you have to swallow the bitter pill."

"Yeah? Sounds like you've got a little anger pent up there," Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What _did_ you have to swallow then? What are you dealing with, Harime?"

The specter tossed her head, clawed hands going to her hips.

"I was trying to spare you the guilt, 'cause no matter how cold you act we both know you've got a bleeding heart, Naruto." Harime returned mockingly, earlier temper cooling down to something chilling.

Naruto stiffened visibly, lips pursing.

"But I'm done doing everything according to your feelings." Harime muttered. "Now's the time for you to see what how you feel does to _me._ How your pain is always reflected onto me, and makes me_ suffer_."

Karin watched Naruto's expression lighten, but not in a good way. Her blue eyes were widening with every passing second, her mouth slightly agape in what the bespectacled girl recognized as horror.

Outside the barrier, Karin and the others watched as Harime's shadowed form sloshed down, bubbling across the surface of her circular shadow.

And then, after a moment, as Karin had seen before something began to emerge, reaching out. It was a hand.

But this hand wasn't pitch black. It wasn't large and clawed. It also wasn't impish with visible bones. It was small, like a child's.

It was small, and it was human.


	35. For Whose Sake

**I don't own Naruto**

* * *

For a moment, there was absolute silence.

Naruto watched that little hand reach out, pushing against the shadow upon the floor that should've been flat. The darkness stretched, bursting open like a chrysalis, and Naruto could clearly see that what was escaping was the hand of a small child. It was followed by its twin, blunt nails painted black just like Naruto's own. Those little hands waved around, slapping flat against the bubbling shadow they emerged from, fingers curling, clawing into the flooring.

With wide blue-green eyes, Naruto watched as they scrabbled for real purchase, to the point that the effort left the fingertips irritated and torn, smearing blood. Though this was only for a moment, because those hands soon became wrists, then forearms, and when they found purchase, they heaved.

A body dragged itself from the shadows, nearly falling face first before the unnatural shadow shrank down into something moderately normal, hiding beneath the newly revealed form.

Naruto was speechless.

Harime was in the body of a small child, probably around seven. She had long unruly hair the shame shade of red as Naruto's, and she wore a white silk sleeveless shirt under a black lace apron dress with a tutu-like skirt.

But the cute attire didn't take away from Harime's gruesome appearance.

There was no telling how tall she'd be, because her legs were cut off, blunted stumps stopping above where her knees should've been. The rounded nubs replacing the rest of her legs were a patchwork collage of raised pink scar tissue and black stitching. Harime also had no eyes, of this Naruto could tell, because though they were mostly closed, thick lashes bowing towards her cheekbones, there was a sliver of space left to the open air, and within, there was nothing. Thankfully they weren't bleeding, but there was bleeding elsewhere.

Harime's mouth was pursed into a grim line, stained crimson, her brows holding a faint grimace between them in what Naruto realized was the result of pain.

She was in pain.

"Maa maa, you seem surprised, Naru-chan." Harime tittered, young voice hoarse, slightly thick before she coughed, a splurt of blood falling from her lips.

Naruto realized that Harime's throat was raw because she was always altering her voice to sound older. To sound like her.

"Come now Naruto, I'm not feeling very welcomed." Harime pouted, bloodied bottom lip jutting out.

Naruto wanted to wince at the display.

"Wh… what happened to you?" She breathed.

"That's an interesting story actually," Harime rasped, lifting a hand to smear away the metallic fluid trickling down the corners of her mouth before replacing her grimace with a smile.

That innocent little upturn tore Naruto's heart to shreds. She… she almost looked like a normal kid.

"You see, we never merged."

Naruto's face drained completely of color.

"Yeah, you accepted me, I felt it." Harime began, foregoing mimicking Naruto's voice to use a young voice that suited her more, though there was a rasp to it, probably from the constant voice altering, but there was also a natural hint of it. Though Naruto couldn't remember, she imagined she'd sounded similar years ago.

"But it was too late. After half of your soul was placed in me, I began to change, because I was originally based on your negative emotions, your soul was destroying me, because at the core you're not evil. But that's the thing. Something in me changed, because the something in you, the humanity, was at odds with me."

Naruto tensed, the arm that had been out of control, the strange threads beneath her skin suddenly reeled her limb back in, stitching the segment of her forearm back to its joint.

Harime choked on a giggle, and Naruto had a feeling that her other half didn't need eyes to know how she looked in that moment.

"The day I was given my own body and half of your soul something sparked, and when we later tried to merge, it didn't work because that sparked thing changed something in me at my core. I've always been sort of sentient, but at the same time I've only ever been an extension of you. Your soul imprinted on me, it left pieces as it tore me apart, little fleeting thoughts, ideals… morals. It tore me apart with madness, and I was surprised, because I thought that even if I knew nothing, I knew madness."

Naruto sucked in a breath.

All of her heartstrings had been struck with that last murmured remark.

"But I didn't know this." Harime continued, determined to lay all she had hidden before her creator. "It was true sentience. I'd grown into my own entity. I had individuality, and when we tried to merge it was useless because we weren't two parts of the same person anymore. I became Harime, and you were Naruto. So when I tried to return to Naruto, I was rejected. I couldn't be something I no longer existed as."

Harime's head perked up, and she shifted around on the floor, spreading her bloodied fingertips, and dragging herself around so she was fully facing Naruto. Slowly, Harime used her hands to pull herself across the floor, closer to Naruto.

The redhead took a single step closer, freezing as Harime stopped about a foot away from her, looking up with those eyeless pits, red stained mouth twisted in a bleak grimace.

"I'm not sure if you realize this Naruto, but Shisui, Yondy, Kakashi, and even Sasuke and Sakura can tell you, because they were there. Konohamaru came later but he saw the blood and the stitches on your stomach… I gave you most of my organs. I don't think you know that yours had rotten so much that they couldn't be saved. I knew even if I gave you back your half of the soul, the process of decomposition you had underwent because it was missing would simply kill you anyway. I doubt the fox's chakra could save you even then. Maybe prolong the time you had before you died, but you'd still die anyway."

_'Wh… what?'_ Naruto's pupils dilated, her eyes going wide.

She remembered.

Sakura had looked at her stomach after she returned from her coffin after "merging". Sasuke had done the same thing. Hell, even Konohamaru had studied her after summoning her coffin to bring her back.

Of course she hadn't taken much note to it, but she remembered Sasuke and Sakura were present in the Hokage's office when Harime had torn out her liver because it "smelled rotten". Konohamaru must have gotten there after Harime put her to sleep.

Naruto had just assumed they were looking because the outfit she had been wearing showed off her midriff, and obviously there should've been a scar.

But it wasn't just a scar, was it? She was supposed to be covered in them, and her teammates knew that.

Konohamaru knew that.

They hadn't elaborated on the strange looks they had given her. Naruto had taught them through their interactions that she wasn't very forthcoming with information, so it made sense that they hadn't asked about her lack of scarring.

_'Well, it looks like Harime is even less forthcoming with information than me.'_ Naruto thought grimly.

But to what purpose?

Why did Harime keep so much hidden from her? Why only now was she telling her these things?

"What they don't know, is that I put your rotten organs inside of me, a sort of clean up you know?" Harime went on.

Naruto's expression grew somber, but inside, she was horrified, not for the first time, she wondered, _'Harime… what have you done?'_

"I didn't think it would matter, because I was going to cease to exist outside of you." Harime laughed bitterly. "Imagine my surprise when I broke the jutsu that gave me half of your soul and my shadow ate me alive. I didn't disappear into your shadow, though it probably looked that way. It was mine. I was swallowed, and my body began falling apart, but I didn't die… as you can see. Anyway, you were pulled into this coffin and I attached myself to you to tag along."

Naruto remembered when she'd woken up that first time in the Resting Place, where Harime greeted her in that odd willowy shadowed form with glowing eyes.

_'It was a lie…'_ Naruto realized_. 'A damn lie. The whole time that form was a puppet she manipulated with her mastery over the Nara's Shadow Jutsu.'_

Harime smiled, bloodied teeth illuminated in the candlelight.

"Your organs rotted me from the inside out. Even when you woke up, and we started to train. Even when we were creating the Reaper Modes. Even when we began to get along better. I don't know why I became so closely knitted to the shadows, I don't know why it's so easy for me to manipulate them. I've never heard of a Nara that could literally hide in their own shadow, or someone else's, but I can, and I used that ability to my advantage to hide my form from you. I hid in my shadow and the puppet you mostly see is what I used to interact with you. The reason it was so warm, the reason its eyes glowed, was because inside of it, is nothing but chakra. I don't know how or why, but my chakra is red, and the eyes of my puppet light up that color when I'm using it. Even when my puppet is "bleeding", that's just a trick too. A little Blood Release fun and you can make almost anything seem live like, ne?"

It was starting to make make sense. Things Harime had done and said… they suddenly didn't seem cryptic or like random dark remarks or actions. She… she had a reason for everything she did, just like Naruto, and the reason she'd done the things she had up until this point was to hide the truth from Naruto.

_'She was trying to protect me.'_ Naruto thought._ 'I… I knew that… I always knew she wanted to protect me, at first it was the reason she existed, why I created her… to protect me. And even now… after becoming her own entity she still… still everything she does… is to protect me.'_

She protected Naruto from the ugly truth of her form, and she protected Naruto from death by bringing her back to life. She went so far…

_'Just for me.'_

And that…

It _hurt_.

"You remember Naruto?" Harime pulled the redhead from her thoughts. "After we created the last Reaper Mode, Harbinger… you went to the Resting Place. I took that chance to separate from you. I came here, back to the Graveyard and for the first time I dragged myself from the shadow that consumed me. What was left of the form that had looked like yours… I don't know how to say. A lot of my flesh had been too damaged or rotten to salvage. It was like having a disease that was killing me but I wouldn't die."

Naruto forced herself not to flinch. She stared into those unseeing pits, and recognized that the form Harime resided in currently, was a reflection of her own pain. Harime had endured so much pain. And that was because she was always protecting Naruto.

"While you were resting, I summoned The Wardens of the Toy Box, Ichi and Ni. You know how to modify bodies, and so do I. So by extension, our clones do too. I had them fix what they could, change what was salvageable, and remove what was damaged beyond repair. The result is what you see now. This isn't a child's body."

Naruto wasn't surprised by that. She had already kind of figured…

"It is a body remodeled after a child." Harime explained, gruesome grin withering slightly. "I knew with what I had remaining I couldn't have my teenaged self reformed without serious deformities."

Did she not consider her current body deformed? She was a collage of scars. She didn't have any legs. Any eyes. How damaged had her body been if all she could salvage was enough to create the body of a small legless child? How much rotten flesh had Ichi and Ni cut away?

"Aw, Naru-chan. Here I am spilling my guts and you can't even muster up enough to say something?" Harime rasped, red seeping past her lips as her grin reformed into a small smile.

"What can I say?" Naruto murmured.

What could she say? Nothing would suffice. This… Naruto didn't know what this was.

Apparently unsatisfied with that, Harime dragged herself a bit closer, reaching out, wrapping her little hand around Naruto's right ankle.

Her hand seemed so delicate. So small and easily crushed. Naruto wanted to take that had, to pull Harime to the feet she no longer had.

"What does the fox like to call me?" Harime asked quietly.

* * *

Karin watched the scene unfolding behind the barrier with the Yondaime and Shisui flanking her left and right.

She… she was absolutely speechless.

She was shaken beyond comprehension. Karin had absolutely no idea about anything. There was so much that Naruto and Harime kept hidden inside of themselves, Karin was overwhelmed by what had just been revealed.

_'So… so much suffering.'_

How?

How did they both function under so much pain? Karin could not understand it.

She didn't understand _them._

Harime dragged herself a bit closer, reaching out and taking hold of Naruto's right ankle.

"What does the fox like to call me?" Harime asked quietly.

Naruto remained silent.

Karin wondered about the identity of "the fox", but the current situation held onto her much more fiercely than such a background detail.

"What is it!" Harime screamed, making Karin tremble in her skin, even as all it served to do was cause the little girl to collapse in a fit of painful, bloody coughs.

"Abomination." Naruto whispered hoarsely, the skin around her eyes tight, face bloodless as she watched red dribble from Harime's mouth.

"Exactly." Harime hissed in bitter satisfaction. "It's not like he was ever wrong, but now it's so close to the truth it's sad. I am an abomination."

Karin flinched violently. She was shaken because even she had thought that. Many times she thought of Harime as a monster, living evil, and an abomination. She knew that Harime knew it.

She just hadn't thought that Harime had cared.

"I have no eyes, the organs I still have are damaged beyond repair, and I…" Harime released Naruto's ankle, letting her hand fall to the floor, her face lowering to stare sightlessly downward. "I don't know what I am. I don't know who I am."

Karin watched Naruto's face twist in what she recognized as guilt. Her crush lowered herself to her knees, so that she was closer to Harime, who lied on her stomach on the floor.

"I don't know how to fix you." Naruto said quietly. "I don't know how to help you. I can't even help myself."

Karin almost forgot how to breathe.

So badly she wanted to do something. To be of use and take away Naruto's pain… she even wanted the same for Harime, however twisted and strange that may be.

But Karin knew she could do nothing.

All she could do was watch uselessly beside the Hokage and Shisui as things went on.

* * *

"You_ can_ help me." Harime said fiercely, looking up, the corners of her empty eye sockets tightening as her expression twisted into a scowl.

"All I know how to do is despise and destroy. I look at pretty, delicate, things and all I can think of is how to crush them. How to mutilate them. It's horrible… I hate it. But I don't know how to do anything else. To _be_ anything else. But you do. You're different, Naruto. You can help me be different too."

"Harime…" Naruto wasn't sure what she had intended to say, but Harime didn't give her the chance to try and figure it out.

"You created me to kill, and to hate, and to like it. But the game isn't fun anymore." Harime said, shaking her head. "I don't want to play anymore."

Naruto was unable to stop the temper welling inside of her.

"What…?"

Why was Harime talking like that? As if… as if Naruto wanted to still be playing the same horrible fucking game too.

_'Why didn't she just tell me?'_ She thought, wounded and furious._ 'Why couldn't she just have told m_e_!_'

"Do you think I wanted this?" Naruto huffed, powerless to her feelings, unable to contain them. "Do you think I had any intention to create life only for that life to feel pain? I didn't ask for this any more than you did!"

"But do you see what you did!?" Harime returned heartedly. "_Look_ at me! Look what I have to endure! Do you think this is _fun?_ It hurts. It hurts to smile, it hurts to blink, it hurts to _breathe._ It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it _HURTS!_"

"What do you want me to do?" Naruto snapped back. "I'm sorry. But I can't fix this! It's too late!"

"You don't need me anymore." Harime went on, Naruto noting that she wasn't really talking to her anymore, more of thinking out loud.

"So why?" Harime asked brokenly. "Why can't I go back? Why can't I die? Why can't I go back to nothingness, to when I didn't exist?"

The redhead thought that she'd be less hurt if Harime had slapped her. And again her temper swelled. Harime was talking as if Naruto didn't understand anything.

If she had just told her the truth… Naruto wasn't sure what she would have done. But they wouldn't be doing what they were, trying not to scream at each other in an effort to convey their own feelings.

_'She acts like she's the only one. Like I don't understand her.'_

How dare she?

Who knew Harime better than Naruto? Just like no one knew Naruto better than Harime.

How dare Harime act like Naruto was some stupid bystander that couldn't understand her pain.

"You think I never wanted to disappear?" Naruto spat. "That I never thought it'd be easier to just die? Don't talk to me like I don't know what that feels like. Don't talk to me like I don't know what it's like to be a nightmare... To _live_, in a nightmare."

"Why would you create me only to make me suffer?" Harime hissed, coming back to herself. "Yeah, you know that pain well. So why'd you make someone else feel that too? What? Didn't want to suffer by yourself?"

Naruto recoiled, and she knew for sure then that she'd have preferred to have been struck.

Naruto's eyes burned blood red as the sclera flooded with black pigment.

"What did you just say?" The redhead gritted.

Harime knew damn well she had no control over her creation. Her mind split to handle the stress of the things Danzo made her do. How dare she imply that was her fault?

"I hate you." Harime whispered, tears pouring from the trenches that should've held her eyes.

Naruto could not bring herself to fully acknowledge them. Those tears. She herself felt hurt too, and as usual, to hide from her pain she simply became angry.

"You hate me? That's hilarious." The redhead snarled. "I hate _myself_."

Naruto was satisfied when Harime grimaced visibly at her declaration.

"You already know, because you used to be inside me. But I'm going to say it anyway. The things I've thought and wondered about. The things that connect us, that you so carelessly blurt out as if I don't already know. I would have understood. All you had to do was reach out."

Naruto's right hand darted out lightning quick, taking Harime's chin in a tight hold, lifting the child's head so that she could stare into the pits in her face.

Of course Harime couldn't see how harshly Naruto was glaring at her, but the redhead knew that she could sense it.

"Why was I born?" Naruto recited, speaking the thoughts she had never dared to. "Why is my father the Hokage? So that he could have someone to take his frustrations out on? So that he can be annoyed with the waste of space he helped to create? Why did my mother have to die? So that I'd be lonely? So that I could become the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki? Why did Danzo choose me? Why did he torture me? Why did he make me torture others? Why me? Why. why. _why?_ Was I born just to be stepped on by others? Why can't I go back to being good? Why is it so hard to be good again?"

Harime's breath hitched, and just like Naruto, her pain hid itself behind temper and she lashed out. The child slapped Naruto's hand from her chin.

"Don't make laugh. Just reach out? All you had ever shown me was that I was something to be hated the day you created me." Harime snarled. "Can you blame me for not telling the truth?"

"Maybe not but I thought I showed you that you could trust me." Naruto snapped. "I stopped treating you like that. I trusted you. Why couldn't you do the same?"

"Why would I?" Harime asked dangerously. "Even now you want to distance yourself from me. Maybe you accept me. That still doesn't change the fact that you don't like how I am. That doesn't mean I don't disgust you. But you made me, so it's your fault. How could you make me and then treat me like that?"

_'That's true…_' Naruto thought_. 'I do hate how dark she is, because it shows how dark I was and still am. But I… that's just how it is. She's become someone so close to me… so I just accept that she's darkness.'_

Naruto didn't have to say that aloud for Harime to hear it. The eyeless girl could sense those feelings in Naruto's silence. And they enraged her.

Her face twisted, becoming ugly with rage.

"I hate you." Harime said again. "I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you_ I HATE YOU NARUTO!_"

The redhead reeled back from those scathing words. And then her own expression twisted, mood taking in Harime's rage and reflecting it back.

"Fuck you…" Naruto sneered, both hands reaching out.

But instead of taking hold of Harime's neck like she'd wanted to for a split second, she grabbed the collar of her dress, dragging Harime up as she stood. Naruto held the legless girl up by the front of her frilly dress, glaring as hard as she could, receiving one back with equal fury.

"_Fuck you…_ FUCK YOU HARIME!"

The redhead spun quickly on her heels, gaining momentum before she released, sending Harime soaring across the Graveyard.

Limp as a rag doll, Harime flew, but at the last possible second she curled into a ball, hands reaching out and taking hold of an arch shaped grave before she could fly over it.

She jerked to an abrupt stop, paused in a hand stand atop the grave. The grave was black with the words Murder of Crows carved across it.

It was a jutsu inspired by the one Shisui and Itachi created to turn themselves into crows, but it wasn't really Naruto's style. So she'd done the jutsu and sealed in into the grave, in case she ever wanted to see it again and if she wanted to further work on it.

"That's just like you, Naruto." Harime gritted, still holding herself upside down. "Resorting to violence as soon as things don't go your way."

"I never took you as a hypocrite, Harime." The redhead shot back. "Isn't that just how you are?"

Harime screeched in wordless rage, allowing herself to drop down, so that she landed behind the grave facing Naruto.

"You always think you're so smart Naruto." Harime hissed. "It pisses me off!"

The eyeless child wrapped her arms around the grave, so that her fingers brushed over the words carved into it at either side from behind.

"**Murder of Crows: Come forth.**" She ordered darkly.

Naruto's eyes widened when the kanji across the grave glowed blue, and she only had a split second before the shrill cries of crows filled the air, alongside the crackling of lightning.

The air distorted as she leapt to the left with all her strength and speed, dozens of crows made of pure crackling blue lightning descending upon her vacant position, several of them exploding in a violent show of sparks.

Naruto landed in a crouch, her right knee jarring uncomfortably before it separated from her body, a mass of threads spilling from the limb.

"Damnit!" She cursed, falling on her side, hand coming out to catch her as the remaining lightning crows zipped towards her.

Naruto stumbled into a standing position, grabbing hold of her segmented leg before leaping up, holding herself together as another explosion of sparks screeched across the checkered flooring she'd vacated.

As the threads stitched her leg back to her thigh beneath her jumpsuit, Naruto curled into a flip, feet landing with an audible slap atop a cross shaped grave. She was in a crouch, and looked up to glare at Harime, only to come face to face with the last lightning crow that she hadn't sensed.

It screeched, and slammed into Naruto's chest.

Immediately, Naruto's muscles seized, and pain screamed through her body. She spasmed, the red veins in her eyes bulged, tears of blood gushing from them as her pupils dilated.

"NARUTO!" Karin screamed.

But none of the three people behind the barrier could help Naruto.

She fell face first from the grave, and lied there, muscles twitching from time to time.

"Harime what did you do!?" Shisui bellowed. "Why would you do that!"

"Release this barrier immediately." The Yondaime gritted.

"Oh shut up!" Harime snipped. "You three stay out of this. This is between me and my Naru-chan."

"Harime!" Karin protested.

The three were promptly ignored.

"S-so… th-that's how you wanna p-play this, huh?" Naruto grunted, struggling to lie her palms flat on the floor, shakily pushing herself up. "O-okay then…"

"Naruto you're alright!" Karin exclaimed.

But Naruto ignored her alongside her father and Shisui, like she had been doing since she realized Harime hadn't come alone.

They had no place here, and she would do what she had to whether they were watching or not.

Harime cackled, dragging herself around the grave she'd just released the contents of.

"Oh how I wish I could see the look on your face Naruto!" The little girl giggled. "Not so high and mighty now are you?"

With a grunt Naruto pushed herself against the back of the cross grave she'd fallen from, body wailing in protest at the movements.

Naruto reached up with a trembling hand, wide grin slashed across her face.

She sank her fingers into her left eye socket, taking hold of the slick orb before yanking it out with an abrupt movement followed by a geyser of crimson.

"Won't b-be any f-fun if you d-drop right a-away…" Naruto stuttered, spasming again.

"Oh Naru-chan, I just love it when you rasp in pain like that~" Harime mocked, blowing a theatrical kiss at her creator.

Naruto's grin widened.

"F-for you… you shitty l-little b-bitch." She coughed, tossing the eye in Harime's direction.

The legless girl reached out, sensing something coming her way. She caught the orb between her little bloodied fingers, her own grin stretching.

"Oh what fun. You wanna play with me Naruto~?" Harime tittered, peeling her right eye lid back, inserting the eye into her empty pit.

Harime blinked, her left eyelid remaining closed as her hand began to glow a faint red color as she healed the ocular nerve into her right eye socket.

She crawled closer, snickering here and there as her eye met Naruto's.

"Oh look…" Naruto snickered. "We match!"

Harime's new eye bulged when she saw Naruto reach up and behind her, fingertips stained with blood after gouging out her own eye. Naruto's fingers curled over the top of the grave she leaned against.

"**Hangman's Tree: Come forth**."

Harime's grin dropped as her single eye became wider.

"NARUTO YOU PIECE OF SHI-"

The grave behind her shook as the floor beneath it erupted, roots made of pure black stone scurrying across the floor before a large trunk burst into existence behind Harime, branches shooting out before ruby colored blossoms bloomed among them.

The legless girl tried to scuttle away, but red tendrils quickly fell from the blossoms, catching the candlelight above, revealing they were made from pure blood.

The tendrils wrapped around one another, forming a rope before they shot past Harime, and quickly wrapped around her throat, forming a noose.

Harime screamed as the noose tightened and snatched her clean off the floor, drawing her closer to the towering black tree, and back in the line of sight of the three behind the barrier.

"Oh my gosh!" Karin choked, slapping her hands over her mouth as Harime swayed from the branches like a twisted ornament, hands tugging at the ever tightening chokehold the blood rope had around her neck.

The legless girl struggled viciously, foaming at the mouth as her single eye burned red and the sclera flooded with black.

Naruto dragged herself to her feet, smirking.

"Oh Harime look at you~" She giggled. "Such a cute little decoration for my execution tree."

Naruto threw her head back and laughed.

Tendrils of darkness leapt up, away from the hiding place among the trees roots, spiraling up and attaching themselves to the stumps where Harime's legs should've been. They grew in volume, stretching and forming a pair of legs that stitched themselves to her stumps.

"Think that's funny huh?" Harime choked, swinging herself back and forth, gaining momentum until her new feet met the trunk of the dark tree behind her, using it to push off, at the same time swiping her hand through the air, liquefying the blood around her neck so that it released her. It splattered across the bodice of her dress, eating holes through the lace as she shot through the air.

Naruto stopped laughing quick enough to sidestep Harime, so that she soared past her, landing on all fours before she whipped around, launching herself at her creator, fangs bared.

Naruto grunted when Harime slammed into her, one hand fisting in her creator's hair while the other took hold of her shoulder as she savagely sank her teeth into the side of Naruto's throat.

The teen cried out in pain, left hand flying up, fisting the back of Harime's hair and ripping the child's face away from her throat as it gushed blood. Naruto tossed Harime to the side, her hold slipping on the long strands before tightening around the ends.

Snarling, Naruto's right hand went to staunch the bleeding while her left slammed Harime into the floor by her hair. Enraged, Naruto yanked Harime up, swinging her around and ignoring the child's pained cries as she slammed her into the floor at her right.

Harime grunted as she was thrown around like an abused toy, slammed back and forth several times before her right shoulder crunched, popping out of its socket at the abuse. When Harime screamed, Naruto lifted her up again and tossed her away like trash.

Harime tumbled across the floor, at the last moment catching herself and sliding back in a crouch. The little girl clenched her teeth as she popped her shoulder back into place, watching Naruto's jiongu stitch the torn flesh at her throat closed.

They both stared with their single glowing devil eye, faces twisted into ugly snarls.

At the same time, they charged.

* * *

Shisui watched as Naruto and Harime traded vicious blows, throwing each other around and drawing blood as if they were strangers.

His face was drained completely of color, and he heard Karin breathe in absolute horror the exact words he was thinking.

"My god… they're… they're tearing eachother apart."

Shisui blinked, and the next thing he knew, Naruto was holding Harime up by her throat, squeezing as if she wanted to snap it, but the Uchiha could tell she was holding back, that despite her rage, despite her despair, she was conscious enough to realize she didn't really want to hurt Harime.

"I don't want you, inside of me." Naruto gritted. "I don't want anyone in my fucking head. The only one that belongs in there is me, and no matter where you came from, or what you were, you're not me!"

Again Naruto tossed Harime away from her, but again Harime returned with a vengeance, fangs bared, shadows around her writhing with her temper.

"I KNOW THAT!" Harime roared, form blurring, appearing behind Naruto, only for her creator to whirl around and block the kick aimed at her neck with her forearm. "I became Harime. I gave you what you wanted by becoming separate from you… and still… still nothing! I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING!"

Naruto and Harime stooped down low, fighting like animals, clawing at each other faces, tearing out chunks of flesh with their teeth, slamming each others faces into the floor… just… pure brutality.

"What the hell did you give me?" Naruto snapped, holding Harime's face down into the floor.

"I gave you allies!" The child snarled, writhing so violently she forced Naruto to release her so that she could skitter away. "Karin and Yakumo are loyal to you. Yakumo hasn't even _met_ you and she'd never betray you. That was _me_. I was the horrible monster that forced them to obey, so that you could have people to be with. So that you wouldn't be lonely. I spent all my time with Karin, but the only person she ever thinks about is you!"

Slowly, Harime stood on her temporary legs, red bangs shielding her expression.

"Do you… do you think that doesn't matter to me?"

Something inside Shisui panged.

Did… did this mean…?

Oh god. This whole time… had he misjudged Harime?

"_Listen!_" Naruto huffed, spitting a bit of blood from her mouth. "I didn't know. You're angry, but how was I supposed to know what you needed when you said nothing? You always glorified your own twisted persona, laughing up that you were evil and that everything is a game. How was I supposed to know inside that you hurt? How was I supposed to know that like me you never had anyone but yourself?"

"But that's not true anymore." Harime rasped. "You don't have only yourself. What about Shisui? Konohamaru? Karin? What about_ me?_ How can you say you have nothing when you created me to be there for you. All I've ever done is love you when no one else would and you still say that you have nothing? HOW DARE YOU! AFTER EVERYTHING I WENT THROUGH YOU HAVE NOTHING? YOU BITCH!"

"YOU NEVER LISTEN!" Naruto yelled, fists clenching at her sides. "You twist everything I say!"

"I know what you really mean!"

"No you don't." Naruto spat scathingly. "If you knew what I meant, you'd know that I'm saying that I realized I have you, and that even though you had me to lean on, you didn't think you could... and for that, I'm sorry."

"Liar!" Harime screamed. "You're a liar Naruto!"

"No, you're just scared." Naruto said, voice tired beyond her years. "You want to change, you want to be different, but you're too much of a coward to be different. I'm showing you right now that I accept you. I'm fighting with you, arguing, but instead of seeing it as what it is, you're still trying to make me the villain. You wanna change? Let me help you. That's what you want, isn't it? That's why you took this chance to tell me everything. So stop fighting me!"

Harime's lips pursed, blood seeping through them as she fought to contain a bit of her temper.

"What do you want me to say? Thank you?" Naruto laughed spitefully. "For whose sake did you do all this? Mine or yours? Because you're fighting so hard and if you wanted to die you wouldn't be. Roll over and die if you want to, but don't say anything if you don't even have enough courage to kill yourself. If you don't have enough courage to be a different version of yourself."

"I did it for you!" Harime screamed. "Everything I've done it was for you! How can you say that? How can you just tell me to die?"

"Maybe it had been for me when you were first created. After all, I only ever wanted someone to love and protect me." Naruto admitted. "And no, I'm not denying you still don't do things with the intention to be useful to me or show me that you care. I'm saying since you became your own person, you also do things for yourself. You do things for me because you want me to love you. You want me to accept you. But that's stupid because-"

Harime didn't give Naruto the chance to continue before she was launching herself at her.

* * *

Karin remembered...

Key things Harime had said that all connected the truth to this moment. This bloody confrontation.

_"She was crazy you see, so in her sadness she made me, and I took all the pain for myself and moved her along when she was too sad to go on."_

She started out a split personality, and somewhere along the lines became her own entity, forming her own ideals, growing above and beyond the hatred and despair that had given her life.

_"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. I doubt you could handle my answer anyway."_

It was humbling.

To know such a being actually cared for her, to know that despite all the lies she seemed to tell, she told an equal amount of truths, despite their obscurity.

_"Hey, you know what 'Sui-kun?"_

_"I don't have a soul."_

But that wasn't true. At least, it wasn't any more. Harime had chakra, and chakra's source was the soul. Though she may not be quite human, Karin was absolutely sure Harime had a soul. Something without one, could not feel things so deeply.

And though Harime's chakra was similar to Naruto's, it was undoubtedly her own. Free of the safety of her shadow, Karin could feel it. A midnight dark chord. Striking and sharp, yet sad. So so sad. She was miserable, but here, in the coffin, even fighting with such brutality she was alive.

Naruto made Harime feel alive.

_"I just wanted my Naruto to have a new stronger body, so I took the opportunity to get her a new one."_

Karin was sure that was the truth, but at the same time, Harime was disgusted by what she had done to Tayuya for Naruto's sake. She was conflicting with herself. The things she did without question when she had no soul, after becoming something with one, she no longer knew how to operate. She was confused and angry and in so much pain, and so now she was lashing out, even if it was on the person Karin knew for a fact that she loved the most.

_'Someone with no soul, could not care that much about someone else.'_

With that sobering thought, Karin found her eyes stinging as she watched the two bitter and wounded souls brawl with all their might.

Harime's hands pushed Naruto down, and she straddled her creator, hands fisting in either side of Naruto's head, lifting it up, before slamming the back of her skull into the floor.

Naruto pounded her fists into Harime's sides to force her to release her, but Harime just slammed her head harder into the floor, ignoring the way Naruto's blows caused her ribs to cave in, and her mouth to dribble blood. She slammed the back of Naruto's head into the floor again, screaming with all the pain and anger she ever felt, and at last Naruto's assault stopped, her body falling limp.

Everyone froze as Harime froze, pulling her hands away from Naruto's hair, a few of the strands coming with her, glued to the blood soaking her palms and fingertips.

_'Oh my god.'_ Karin thought, pupils shrinking to tiny petrified pinpricks_. 'Oh my god!_'

"Naruto…?" Harime rasped, hands trembling as she shook the girl beneath her. "Hey… Naruto. T-That's not funny… Stop it."

She shook Naruto's shoulders harder, but her eyes remained closed. Not even a twitch.

"Stop playing." Harime whispered, lifting Naruto up by her shoulders, and shaking her violently. "Stop Naruto it's not funny! It's not!"

Tears blurred Karin's vision as she watched.

Naruto's head flopped back and forth at the abuse, red trickling out of her nose.

"Look what you made me do Naruto!" Harime sobbed, little hands cradling Naruto's bloodied face in her hands, tenderly laying her back onto the floor, removing herself from atop her creator. Harime moved on her knees, gently bringing Naruto's head to rest on her lap.

"Look at what you made me do!"

"Harime!" Karin yelled, unable to remain a bystander as she threw herself at the invisible barrier, uncaring at how it zapped her, burning at her palms as she leaned in closer.

"Let me in!" Karin demanded. "Let me in now! If you don't Naruto will_ die!"_

Finally Harime looked away from Naruto, and before Karin could make a sound the barrier wavered and she fell through.

The redhead heard Shisui and the Yondaime dart forward, but they hadn't been able to get through the barrier before it flared back into place.

"Damnit!" Shisui cursed.

Karin stumbled to her feet, realizing that Shisui and the Yondaime were shouting something, but she couldn't bring herself to care about their protests. Harime had let her in and her alone. They simply had to accept that.

Karin rushed over to the duo, dropping to her knees, hands framing Naruto's pale face. Her fingers slid around the back of Naruto's head, feeling the stressed and split flesh there.

"Blunt force trauma to the head." Karin recited, hands beginning to warm with medical chakra. "She's got a nasty concussion, but if I take care of it now she can be up and about in a few minutes…"

"Do it." Harime whispered, allowing Karin to pull Naruto away from her trembling hands. "_Please_…"

"You don't even have to ask." Karin murmured, turning Naruto onto her side, pulling a small flashlight from the pouch around her waist and clicking it on, sticking it between her teeth before beginning to operate.

After several minutes of complete silence, Karin pulled back, letting the flashlight fall from her lips.

"Harime, can you please get the gauze inside my pouch?" Karin asked, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow with her forearm.

"I… is Naruto going to be okay?" Harime whispered, even as she did what Karin asked of her.

The Uzumaki wanted to be angry, to point out that Naruto would be fine if she wasn't such a violent, childish, little monster, but she couldn't.

Karin realized that Naruto and Harime both needed to do what they had. That they both had allowed too much to build up over time, and only now were they able to release it.

So, Karin was able to contain her feelings, and it surprised her… how calm she actually was.

Could it be the seal Harime had put on her emotions? Or was she simply growing as a person?

There were so many things Karin had learned about them both that she wasn't sure she would have otherwise had Harime never brought them into the coffin.

Naruto was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. Her father was the Yondaime Hokage, and she had been dealt a wealth of pain that she had been hiding for so long.

_'Well, now I know…'_ Karin thought, accepting the bandages and tying them expertly around Naruto's head. _'I know and can take steps to heal Naruto and Harime both.'_

No matter what happened, Karin was going to stand by them both, because it was the both of them that had become inseparable within her heart and life. She hadn't even realized that even though Harime terrified her beyond words, she still held a twisted sort of admiration for her.

Naruto and Harime were the people that Karin would follow until the end.

She was not ashamed of this. It was the path she'd chosen, and she was going to make the most of it.

The Uzumaki was jolted from her thoughts as Naruto groaned.

"Naruto!" Everyone exclaimed.

Harime rushed over, the shadows she had manipulated into being her legs gone, so instead she dragged herself closer, but didn't reach for her creator.

Karin helped Naruto into a sitting position, taking Naruto's hand before the girl could reach up and fiddle with her bandages.

"Karin…?" Naruto croaked, squinting in the candlelight at her fellow Uzumaki.

Karin swallowed thickly and nodded, eyes welling once more with tears.

"Yeah," She rasped. "It's me… Naruto."

"You saved me." Naruto muttered, hand squeezing Karin's. "Thank you."

Karin shook her head.

_'I will always be there to put you back together Naruto.'_

Naruto tore her gaze away from Karin's, eye finding Harime's.

The little girl flinched.

"You don't want to die Harime." Naruto said.

"W-what…?" The legless girl stuttered, blue-green eye wide.

"You don't want to die." Naruto repeated. "And neither do I. You just… you want me to love you."

Harime's bloodied lips trembled as her expression crumbled.

"But that's stupid to fight so hard for because I already do." Naruto continued, hand tightening around Karin's.

Karin squeezed back in silent support.

"Wh… what?" Harime breathed.

"You're a fucking idiot." Naruto growled, and Karin couldn't help the small smile forming at her lips. "A complete _idiot_. If I didn't want you around, you know I would've just gotten rid of you. If I didn't care, do you really think I'd just let you get away with all the stuff you just pulled? I would've _killed_ you. But I don't want you dead. I really _really_ don't want you to disappear."

"Naruto…" Harime sniffled.

"I'm _not_ going to repeat myself." The teen huffed, serious as she stared into Harime's single eye with her own. "I love you. No, you're not apart of me anymore. But that's fine, because you being you is enough for me."

"Naru-chan!" Harime exclaimed, tears pouring down her face as she launched herself at her creator.

Karin blushed when Naruto wrapped her arms around her and Harime both, squeezing silent and gruff affection into them.

"I love you too!" Harime cheered. "I love you so_ much!"_

"Yeah yeah," The teen grumbled, allowing herself to be squeezed before she reached up and pinched a nerve in Harime's neck, knocking her out.

"Why did you do that?" Karin asked, crimson eyes wide behind her glasses as she pulled back.

"Could you heal this dumbass please?" Naruto asked, moving her arm from around Karin to gently set Harime onto the floor as she stumbled to her feet.

"O-of course Naruto-chan. B-but you shouldn't be moving around so soon!" Karin protested.

"Forget that." The teen rolled her eyes. "This shit ends _now_."

Karin was already checking Harime's vitals, finding three of her ribs were cracked and she was bleeding internally.

Naruto ran through handseals as Karin began healing Harime with caring, green, glowing hands.

The teen slammed her palms flat onto the checkered floor.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

_'I don't want her to disappear anymore… I actually… I would be happy if she could stay with me…'_

There was a flare of flame before the Toy Box came into existence. It clicked open, and Ichi hopped out.

She didn't question the fact that Harime had obviously shown Naruto her true form, nor did she question why the two redheads were so beat up.

"Your orders?" She asked, slinging her chainsaw over her shoulder.

"Go to the village and bring a prisoner that is on death row. Make sure it's one soon due for execution and that there is no more information that can be tortured out of them. Bring me something with Tayuya's blood on it too."

"As you wish Naruto-sama."

"Ni, back her up." Naruto ordered.

"As you wish." Ni intoned, climbing out of the Toy Box to stand beside her rag doll masked twin.

Naruto then summoned the door to the Gallows so that they would have a way to Konoha out of the pocket dimensions.

The two masked clones made their way through the door to follow their orders.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Her father called from behind the barrier. "Why did you order them to do such a thing?"

"I'm ending what I started the day I told Harime that I was okay with stealing Tayuya's body." Naruto explained, eyes tightening at the corners as her lips pursed.

"It was wrong for me to agree with that. And so were a lot of other things I've done before that. It took me dying and going to a place, meeting someone there who had died a long time ago to realize that the way I am is not only because of the things that have happened to me. I'm this way because I choose to be." The teen said. "Nobody said that pain had to turn me into a monster. I _let_ it turn me into one. And maybe I'm never going to be good, but at the same time I don't have to go out of my way to be evil either."

The truth was, Naruto wanted to live. Sure at some point she'd wanted to die, but no longer was she so miserable that death was enticing.

She had things she wanted to protect, things she wanted to do. No, she didn't really have a goal… but she found herself wanting to find a purpose.

She didn't want to die anymore.

She wanted to live. She wanted to be happy.

She wasn't going to let others ruin that for her. Not anymore. Even if that person was the one that understood her the most.

So, she was going to help that person. She was going to help her Harime find her own self that she could accept as well.

Naruto didn't think they'd ever be "good", but she had said it before hadn't she?

They were screwy? So _what_.

"Who could've taught you that?" Her dad asked.

"Kaa-chan." Naruto murmured. "In the place between life and death, I met my mom, and though we didn't spend a lot of time together, it was enough for me to learn what I really want. And that's to just be me. A me that doesn't disgust me, someone that I'm not ashamed of. I've decided I'm going to find that version of me, and right now I'm going to take the first step towards becoming that person."

"You… you met Kushina?" Her dad rasped.

"Yeah, I did." Naruto nodded once. "And that time is something I have no intention of sharing with you, or anyone but Harime."

Her dad looked like she'd stabbed him, but she couldn't bring herself to feel too guilty about it. How many times had she given him that very same look before he turned his back on her?

She wasn't trying to hurt him, so he would just have to deal with it.

Naruto bit her hand, commanding the blood to flow out and splatter across the floor, forming a familiar seal in blood.

"Naruto…" Minato called deliberately. "Why are you forming the seal for Edo Tensei?"

Naruto looked up, just as the still standing door to the Gallows creaked open, Ichi and Ni dragging in a woman bound and gagged.

"You're about to find out." Naruto murmured, running through handseals as Ichi tossed the mad eyed and squirming woman into the center of the insignias. Ni tossed in a scalpel with flaking red staining across it, and Naruto knew it was Tayuya's blood soiling the tool.

_'Perfect.'_ She thought.

_Tiger → Snake → Dog → Dragon_

The resounding clap of Naruto's hands froze everyone to their bones.

"Edo Tensei!"

* * *

**I thought it was pretty obvious who she was reaninating but I'm sorry for not being clear. It's Tayuya. The question is_ why_ is she being reanimated... but even that isn't a big deal. No huge drama is coming your way with her temporary revival.**


	36. The Consequences

**All of you that didn't read the author's note at the end of the last chapter, you probably should have. Otherwise you'll just be disappointed with who is being reanimated.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**Ps. This chapter sucks but it's necessary, for the end is near.**

* * *

The woman in the center of the seal drawn in blood spasmed, screaming around her gag as she collapsed to ashes, gray and white sheets of paper scuttling over her skin and engulfing her whole.

She collapsed forward, her short hair becoming long, dark, pink strands, her pale skin taking on a more peachy pigment.

"Naruto…" Shisui called, standing dangerously close to the invisible barrier as he watched Naruto do what she was doing from several feet away.

The tree made of black earth still towered, bloody blossoms lit with the candlelight in the Graveyard, scorch marks and splatters of blood littered about the black and red checkered floor.

"What are you doing?" Shisui asked.

"What the_ fuck?_"

Karin flinched at that familiar voice.

The reanimated Tayuya pushed herself up from her lying position, her brown eyes sharp as she studied her surroundings, the white of her eyes a muted gray color, marking her as brought back from the dead.

"You!" Tayuya snarled, eyes meeting Naruto's single solemn blue one. "You shitty bitch! You set me up! They _tortured_ me!"

Karin flinched, and Harime lied in a peaceful forced sleep at her side.

"Yeah…" Naruto drawled. "About that…. I'm sorry?"

"FUCK YOU!"

Naruto gusted out a sigh.

"Okay, you know what? I deserved that." She admitted. "I deserve that and worse. But I am sorry. Though, I didn't bring you back for my sake."

"What the hell do you want?" Tayuya snapped.

"Karin," Naruto prompted blankly.

"S-sure." The other girl nodded, reaching into the pouch at her waist, despite the blood staining her fingers.

She pulled out some smelling salts and waved them around Harime's nose, recoiling when the small girl deftly caught her wrist in a vice like grip.

Her right eye snapped open, glaring through her unruly bangs.

"Oh…" Harime rasped, releasing Karin's bruise blooming wrist. "It's just you."

Karin nodded, tucking away her salts and gingerly palming her bruising wrist.

Harime sat up, eye finding Naruto, before settling on the reanimated Tayuya.

"Now why did you go and do a thing like that Naru-chan?" The child asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Who the fuck are you?" Tayuya cursed, lip lifting in a snarl. "And where the hell are your legs?"

"Don't recognize me~?" Harime sang, her shadow pooling between the stumps of her legs before bubbling up, forming a round black ball that sprouted curling tendrils on either side of it.

Soon two splits opened up, deep trenches that flickered before filling with red light.

A wide grin stretched across the shadow's face, mouth moving when Harime spoke again, using her favored childish lilt.

"Tayuya-chan, hello~"

Tayuya flinched, before her face twisted in rage.

"_You!_"

"Don't move." Naruto commanded, forcing the Sound nin to remain stiffly in her kneeling position instead of attacking Harime like she'd intended to.

"There won't be any more bloodshed today." Naruto stated simply. "Understand?"

"Eat a dick!" Tayuya spat, ripping her gaze away from Naruto to glare at Harime and Karin.

"Okay, now that that's settled, Harime do you have something you want to say to Tayuya?" The redhead asked.

Harime's puppet collapsed, returning to the shadows.

"Eh, yeah I guess so." Harime shrugged, leaning forward and dragging herself closer to the reanimated Sound nin.

"What are you doing? Stay back you shitstain!" Tayuya yelled, body trembling as if to move, but unable to due to Naruto's command.

Harime peered through her bangs, studying Tayuya intently as the pink haired girl glared her intentions of bodily harm.

"It was fun." Harime began. "Playing with you, I mean. But at the same time, it wasn't. I guess I'm saying… what I did to you, and what I made Karin do to you, was wrong."

"You're telling me that tattooed bitch brought me back so that you could give me the shittiest apology ever spoken?" Tayuya spat. "If that's all, you better let me go back to where I was. It was way better than this shit."

Harime shrugged.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised by that." The legless girl went on. "We did torture you really bad. And then we stole your body and stuff so… yeah."

Tayuya studied Harime for a long moment. She seemed to be contemplating something, and for a moment everyone thought she was going to start cursing Harime out. But when she spoke again, her tone was calm, if slightly bitter.

"I'm never going to forgive you guys for what you did to me." The Sound nin declared. "But if I'm honest, I got what was coming to me for things that I've done. I'm not saying that I don't hope every last one of you don't get fucked in the worst way imaginable, but I _am_ saying fuck it. It happened, and fuck you guys for it. But I'm dead, and it's not as shitty as I thought it would be."

Harime cokced her head to the side.

"What's hell like?" She asked curiously.

"Who said I went to hell?" Tayuya returned.

Harime's eye widened.

"I faced all of the fucked up things I ever did, and when that was that I went somewhere else, and it ain't hell, that's for damn sure."

Harime and Naruto both looked as if they wanted to know more, but Tayuya glared again.

"So I'd liked to get back to that place, and I really don't give a crap if you mind. Send me back."

"But what about my closure~?" Harime whined.

"Piss off." Tayuya cursed. "I don't care what you do to my body. I don't care about you using my summonings, or anything else. I just want to leave."

"That's good enough for me." Naruto muttered.

Karin watched as Naruto's hands formed the release sign.

"Sorry Tayuya…" Karin whispered, flinching when the girl's brown eyes sliced into her.

The Sound nin didn't say anything as her features began to crumble to dust. She didn't need to say anything more though. Everyone present could see that she was relieved to be returning to wherever it was she had gone to after her demise.

When Tayuya's features completely disappeared, the corpse of the prisoner woman collapsed onto her side in the center of the Edo Tensei seal.

"Well, I honestly don't know what I expected when I thought of summoning Tayuya." Naruto began, looking up. "But how do you guys feel? About this, I mean."

"I didn't think she would forgive me either." Harime said, but her bloodied lips tilted up in a small smile. "But, thank you for letting me talk to her, Naru-chan. It was a sweet thought."

"She barely acknowledged me," Karin muttered. "But I could see in her eyes that she'd kick my ass if she ever got the chance. Weirdly though… I'm okay with that. I don't feel better about what I did to her, but knowing she's not stewing over it makes it more bearable."

"I guess it was a little much to summon a soul from the dead, but this is good." Naruto voiced. "It's progress. And fuck me if I don't try to progress after all of this crap."

"Baby steps." Harime tittered.

"They are steps nonetheless." Jorōgumo intoned, stepping from behind a large cross shaped grave.

"Where did you come from?" Karin exclaimed.

Jorōgumo elegantly folded her hands in front of her as she moved closer and stood at Naruto's side.

"I am the same clone that aided you against The Hag." Jorōgumo explained. "I quickly went ahead to beat you all to Naruto. Harime failed to explain that the seals that keeps all chakra signatures but her own and Master's outside of this barrier is only activated by a pulse of her own or Naruto's chakra. So I was here before she activated the barrier. Karin-san, you didn't sense me because I was suppressing my presence, and all of the chakra hidden throughout the Graveyard served to hide my presence even more. If any of you had looked, you'd have found me."

"I thought you were gonna wait until Naruto was normal again to greet her." Harime asked.

"I did." Jorōgumo said. "Master is as Master should be, is she not? So, here I am."

"I honestly didn't expect to see you until we all made it back to the Resting Place." Harime admitted.

"Well, there is something I want to do." The one eyed clone murmured, turning to Naruto. "Master, I sealed your original body into the Underground. If you would like to return to it, I will retrieve it for you."

Surprised, it took Naruto a moment to respond. With a small chuckle, she nodded.

"That would be awesome, Jorōgumo."

"And after all I went through to make you that cooler one." Harime grumbled.

"Do you want it?" Naruto asked her other half.

"Huh?" Harime looked up.

Naruto shrugged.

"Tayuya said she didn't care what we did to her body or her summons." The redhead reminded her. "And I think the living threads suit you more at this point than they do me."

"If you use the body, all the work that went into it wouldn't have been for nothing…" Karin spoke up.

"And it won't hurt to breathe…" Harime murmured.

"Wait, you meant that literally?" Naruto asked, alarmed.

"Yeah, and figuratively." Harime said. "This body really is very weak. It's part of the reason I always stay in the shadows. It hurts to move."

Naruto felt guilt flare painfully in her heart, but it wasn't the time for her to act like she was the one put out. It was time for her to start working towards being the person she wanted to be.

She knew she'd probably never be"good", but she could be a person that she was not utterly ashamed of. That was enough. That was fine.

"Alright then." Naruto nodded to herself, looking up, meeting eyes with her father, and then Shisui. "I know you guys probably want all this to be over. But can you wait a little longer?"

She knew it was asking for a lot, and honestly she wanted to get the heck out of the coffin too, but she owed Harime at least a little relief from the pain she caused her.

"Do what you have to." Her father finally said.

Shisui nodded at her.

Relieved, Naruto took a breath. She turned slightly, her blue eye reaching Jorōgumo's.

"Do it." The teen ordered.

"As you wish." She returned, dropping into a squat and drawing a seal in the blood already smeared across the floor.

Jorōgumo brought her hands up when she was done, weaving through hand signs. She slapped her hands against the checkered flooring, a flare of blue flame following the action. She stood and stepped back as a familiar door rose from the flaming symbols.

"Harime resealed the Kyuubi into your old body," Jorōgumo explained, stepping around the lone standing door and placing her hand on the shimmering handle. "So, your body may move, and when you return to it, you will once again be the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Naruto took a breath.

"It was always my responsibility." The redhead muttered. "No, I didn't ask for it, and no I didn't want it, nor do I now... but Mom trusted me enough even as a baby and as her child to take on her burden. So… alright. I've lived with it all this time and I can live with it some more."

"When did you seal the Kyuubi?" Karin asked the legless girl, agasp.

Harime grinned, all bloodied teeth.

"In the split second it took to after summoning Naruto's soul from the in between. His presence came along with hers, and I just sealed him into her old body 'cause there was already a seal there, and I didn't know what would happen if he got away. Jorōgumo, thinking quickly, sealed the old body with him in it into the Underground. Everybody was a little preoccupied with Naruto's return to notice." Harime explained. "And before you start to lecture about how dangerous that was, I kinda already know, Yondy."

Naruto's dad simply gritted his teeth, and didn't say anything.

With no further prompting, Jorōgumo twisted the knob to the Underground's door, and pushed it open with an audible creak.

Immediately, Naruto showed an impressive amount of speed when she flashed before the door, right hand extended, taking hold of the snarling face that had leapt forward as soon as the door opened. Naruto crashed into the Underground, slamming the whiskered creature in her grasp against the wall inside the doorway.

Pinned, the captured being stared at Naruto through her eyes, only, these were crimson with fox slitted pupils. The hair atop her old body's head was a deep orange, and the whiskers on that identical face were rugged and feral.

"**So you live, foolish little wretch**."

"I see you still have nothing nice to say, Kurama." Naruto returned pleasantly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna need this body back."

"**Take it if you can, meatbag**."

Naruto grinned.

"Is that a challenge?" The blonde baited.

The fox bared its fangs at her.

She tossed Kurama down the stairs and into the darkness of the Underground.

"That's fine." Naruto continued. "I accept. Let's rock, Harime, Jorōgumo."

"Okie dokie~" Harime sang, dragging herself after Naruto.

Jorōgumo followed behind them both, turning momentarily to meet eyes with Karin, who had been frozen since the Kyuubi had made its appearance. She had recognized the dark chakra of the creature that had been hidden within Naruto since the very day they met.

"Karin-san, we will return." The stitched clone promised.

"H-hai." Karin stuttered.

With a nod, Jorōgumo closed the door of the Underground behind her.

And then, every one waited.

* * *

Karin waited a few feet away from the Underground's door, Shisui and the Yondaime doing the same outside of the barrier.

The Uzumaki didn't know how long they all waited, but she knew it had been a while.

And just when Karin was strung taut with nerves, ready to snap, the knob to the Underground twisted, and the door swung open. Karin gusted out a breath of relief.

Jorōgumo exited first, followed by the body of Tayuya that looked like Naruto minus the whiskers.

Checking the chakra, Karin found Harime was the one inhabiting the body with the Jiongu hidden beneath its skin. In Harime's arms, she held her whiskered look alike. Again, checking the chakra, Karin found Naruto was very much alive in her original body, the only differences was the fact that her hair was a bright sunshine blonde and her body held no tattoos.

She was wearing the same slightly baggy black bodysuit as Harime, and Karin knew she probably kept those spare clothes in the Underground just in case.

"Put me down." Naruto muttered. "I can walk Harime."

Harime pouted, but did as Naruto wished.

When Naruto met eyes with Karin, the Uzumaki found they were no longer red, but the pretty blue hue with hints of green that she had always favored.

Harime had the same two eyes.

Jorōgumo moved aside as both Harime and Naruto left the Underground's doorway, and the one eyed clone pulled the door closed behind them, a flash of hand signs sending the door away in a flare of flame and smoke.

"What happened to your old body Harime?" Karin couldn't help but ask.

"I absorbed it with the chimera jutsu along with all the abilities inside of it." The redhead said, grinning.

She gave a little spin.

"What do you think? Aren't I pretty?"

Karin startled out a laugh.

_'Oh my god. Is… is it actually over? Is it… is it done?'_

"Yes!" She laughed again. "You look very pretty, Harime."

"Yay!" Harime cheered.

"What about me?" Naruto asked, fingering a tuft of her bangs. "It's still blonde. Think I should do something to it?"

"I dunno," Harime said, eyeing her creator. "I think it looks nice on you, Naru-chan. I missed your cute little whiskers too."

Karin did a double take when she saw a hint of rose rise in Naruto's cheeks.

"Don't call me cute." She grumbled. "It's just wrong on so many levels…"

"Naru-chan is mean." Harime huffed, crossing her arms.

"Alright," Jorōgumo spoke up. "That's enough of that. Master is as Master should be, Harime is as fine as she shall ever be, and now it is time for us all to leave this coffin."

"Okay fine, just spoil all the fun then, bloodbag." Harime muttered, waving a hand.

Karin felt the chakra making up the barrier surrounding them waver before dispersing.

"Time to face the music." Naruto said, sighing.

Karin winced.

Oh yeah… things had gotten so laid back she had forgotten how deep in shit they all were.

_'Please... please tell me I'm not going to get executed…'_

Karin finally stood, grateful when no one commented on her trembling.

Karin, Naruto, Harime, and Jorōgumo all looked to the ones who had remained outside of the barrier. The ones who made no move to get closer once said barrier had been dropped.

The Hokage looked cold, and Karin couldn't help grimacing again.

"We will not discuss anything in here." The Yondaime declared emotionlessly. "All of you will leave this coffin with me, and we will go to my office. When we make it there, then we'll discuss what's going to happen."

"Hai…" They all said.

Jorōgumo looked to her master.

"Master, my true self is waiting in the Resting Place. I will see you there."

"Okay." Naruto nodded.

With that, Jorōgumo's form collapsed into a sea of hair, slithering away to no doubt return to the true Jorōgumo. Minato turned on his heel and began walking away.

Harime made her way to Karin and took the Uzumaki's hand, startling her.

"C'mon Karin-chan, we can't keep Yondy-pon waiting too long. Otherwise the stick in his butt might rupture something important."

The redhead paid no heed to Karin's incoherent sputtering as she skipped along, dragging the glasses wearing girl behind her.

Karin looked back, finding that Naruto was following behind them, but instead of continuing on, she stopped before Shisui, who hadn't moved a muscle since his Hokage had left the premises.

Karin turned back around, hurrying to keep pace with the bouncy Harime.

_'Well, I'll let those two have their moment.'_

* * *

"You little shit."

Naruto didn't try to dodge as Shisui launched a punch smooth into the middle of her face. She took the blow with a pained grunt as her lip split and fell back, but he grabbed the front of her jumpsuit and yanked her forward, leaning down so his forehead connected with hers a little painfully. She winced slightly but didn't complain.

"I was worried about you." Shisui mumbled.

Naruto stared into his midnight eyes with her blue ones.

They both studied one another for a long moment. Suddenly, Naruto smirked, the fresh split in her lip pulling painfully.

Shisui pulled back, unable to stop himself from chuckling.

"You really are a brat, you know that?"

"Aw, I missed you too bitch." Naruto returned, reaching up and patting his cheek mockingly.

With a snort Shisui released her shirt, and she took a step back, straightening out her clothing.

"Look man… I… I'm sorry." Naruto said, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"I know." Shisui said, reaching out and ruffling the top of her unruly hair. "I just… I hope you learned something, Naruto. You need to think about the things you do and what kind of effect they'll bring. Alright?"

"Alright." Naruto murmured.

Shisui left his hand on her head a moment longer before pulling away.

"You know you're in like, so much trouble that no words can be put to it, right?" Shisui asked.

Naruto snorted.

"Oh I know." The blonde admitted. "But we both know Dad won't have me executed or imprisoned. But it's guaranteed something is gonna suck big time."

"Oh you better believe it." Shisui returned, shaking his head.

Naruto hit Shisui's arm when he grinned.

"C'mon, everyone's waiting." The Uchiha said. "We can't hide out back here forever. Stalling is only going to make it worse."

The Uchiha turned, making to leave.

"Hey 'Sui, one more thing." Naruto called.

"Huh?" The Uchiha turned around, only for the collar of his shirt to be seized and yanked down so that he was eye level with Naruto.

She stared for a long moment, obviously amused by his wide eyes.

"That little crush I mentioned?" She murmured. "It's tiny."

She leaned forward and pecked his lips lightly.

She pulled back, smirking as he gaped.

"Tiny, but there."

The blonde released the Uchiha and confidently strode past him to face the consequences of her actions.

* * *

No one said anything as they stood before the Yondaime, who had calmly closed and locked the door to his office after them.

Jorogumo had left Naruto's coffin with everyone, but she had been returned to her own coffin. The Hokage obviously found no reason to punish her. She was a mere clone after all.

The Yondaime stood behind his desk, hands folded behind his back in a regal manner as his sharp blue eyes studied the people before him.

"Shisui, you have no punishment, but you will speak of nothing that transpired since I summoned you for this mission. Ever. Is that understood?" Minato finally spoke.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Excellent, you are dismissed until further notice."

"Hai."

The Uchiha couldn't help reaching out one more time and ruffling Naruto's hair. He gave her a small reassuring smile that she returned hesitantly and flickered out of existence.

Minato turned his attention to Karin once Shisui's presence left.

She stiffened under his unreadable gaze.

"Karin-san, you are already a citizen of Konoha, but you have shown me that you have no true loyalty to this village." The Yondaime addressed her.

Karin shrank back.

"You will not be allowed to ever become a shinobi of Konoha. Despite your blood, you will be executed immediately if you perform such treasonous acts within Konoha's borders ever again. I am showing you mercy that you quite frankly have not earned, do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes, Hokage-sama! C-crystal clear sir!" The redhead squeaked, quaking hands clasped before her chest.

"Excellent." The Yondaime intoned. "And to reiterate, for your benefit, if you do anything that you _know_ you should not while within this village, I will have your head. This is my last and_ only_ mercy to you. Is that clear?"

"Yes!" She swore, crimson eyes full of tears.

"That's all I wanted to hear." The Hokage said. "Now get out of my sight."

Karin didn't need any further prompting and hightailed it out of his office, leaving out the window. Both remaining Uzumaki knew she was going to be in Naruto's home.

Said blonde grimaced.

She hadn't known Karin could move that fast. Naruto startled out of her thoughts, looking to her right when she felt Harime take her hand.

Her redheaded other half only smiled sweetly.

The Hokage stepped around his desk, so that he was closer to the two remaining people in his office.

They stood hand in hand as his sharp eyes traveled between each of them coldly, before finally settling on Harime.

"You are not a citizen of Konoha. By all means, I should take your head now for all you've done and for all the things I have yet to find or may never will."

Harime knew he chose to ignore the insolent smirk she sent his way.

"You say "should", so does that mean my head stays on my shoulders?" Harime asked, not acknowledging the way Naruto squeezed her hand in warning.

"Still as you stand before me you show such deep disrespect." Minato noted blankly.

"That's 'cause I barely respect you." Harime returned, equally deadpan. "You and I both know you've never really done anything to make me respect you. And we both know there's not a damn thing you can do about it. Now, you gonna punish me for what I've done, or are we gonna keep playing this stupid game?"

"You will share the same punishment as Naruto." Minato said flatly. "Now get out."

Harime pulled her hand away from Naruto and blew a kiss at the Yondaime.

"I guess Naruto will tell me the news then." The redhead chuckled. "Whatever. I don't care."

She made for the window.

"I'll be in your room with Karin, Naru-chan." Harime called over her shoulder. "Don't be too hard on her, Yondy. Otherwise I'll have to be bad again~"

Harime's giggles faded away as she climbed out the window and fell to the village below.

_'And then there was one.'_ Naruto thought.

She looked up, watching her father, a little wary as he walked closer to her.

He stopped when he was in arm's reach.

"Naruto…"

The blonde swallowed.

Minato smacked Naruto smoothe across her face, the action so swift she didn't feel the impact but the sting after lingered painfully and reopened the split in her lip.

"Are you entirely _daft?_" Her father demanded. "Completely out of your damn mind? Do you have _any_ idea how many accounts of_ treason_ you have committed against this village? A village you are _sworn_ to protect and serve with absolute loyalty? I could have you executed right now not even touching on the crimes committed by Karin and Harime during your little vacation."

Naruto wanted to curse at him, demand who the fuck he thought he was talking to but she doubted he'd let it slide when he was so obviously furious with her. Reacting to his anger would only make the situation worse.

"But, I cannot have you killed." Her father said, blue eyes narrowing. "You are a Jinchuuriki and I'm sure the consequences of your death do not have to be explained, not to mention there is no one suitable to take your place as the bijuu holder. As Karin is new and cannot be trusted with such dangerous power."

Naruto thought she should be hurt by the technical way her father discussed her theoretical death, but honestly she was so passed done it didn't even matter. She'd been so close to dead mere hours before that the possibility of actually dying didn't frighten her.

If she could be reunited with her mother in the after life, then maybe being dead wouldn't be such a bad thing.

But then again, living… she would make the most of the life she had. She was determined to be someone that at least she herself could be proud of.

"But," Her father went on, leaving behind his rant about suitable Jinchuuriki. "Before you are a treasonous brat, before you are a bijuu holder, and before you are anything else, you are my daughter. You are my child."

Naruto's eyes widened impossibly.

"I realise it's unfair to show favoritism, and I realise that it probably makes me an unsuitable Hokage for allowing you to go mostly unpunished, but frankly I don't care. The only people that would know would never betray you, or me."

Harime, Shisui, and Karin would never betray Naruto. And neither would they betray the Yondaime. Shisui for obvious reasons, and Karin and Harime because they knew Naruto would be displeased if they did such a thing to her father, despite certain things between them both in the past and present…

"Dad…?" Naruto trailed off, uncertain.

With a frustrated sigh, Minato shoved his hand through his hair.

"That is not to say that you will not be punished. Because you _will_." Her father said, lips pursing.

Naruto winced, previous irritation and temper forgotten. It seemed she'd been wincing a lot lately.

"Well," Naruto finally drawled after a long moment. "What do you have in mind?"

"Leave." Minato ordered.

Naruto's mouth went dry.

"W-what?"

"You will leave this village." Minato said. "You have one week to situate all the matters that you need to. And on this same day next week, you will leave Konoha."

Naruto stared up into the blue eyes so similar to her own, yet so very different.

"You're serious." Naruto said, head cocking to the side slightly, her shock fading. "You're absolutely serious, aren't you."

"It won't be forever." Minato continued, not bothering to respond because they both knew he was serious. "You will leave on a trip for three years under the supervision of a shinobi of my choosing. And you will send a report on your whereabouts on every first of the month until you return."

Naruto watched her father as he watched her.

"And you _will_ return, Naruto." Minato said gravely. "Three years you will be gone. No more and no less. Do _not_ make me send ANBU after you."

Naruto tore her gaze away from her father's, looking out the window, into the evening orange glow that was slowly spreading across the village.

_'Three whole years out of this village huh?'_

Sure, she'd have a guard dog, but a temporary exile really didn't sound that bad…

"You have one week to prepare for this trip." Her father repeated.

"Okay," Naruto allowed, still gazing out at Konoha. "You can send your guard dog with me, but can I take Karin? You said Harime will share this punishment, so that's chill. But I want Karin to come too."

_'I think I'll take Harime's little friends too. The ones who helped bring me back from the dead.'_

"Alright, I'll allow you Karin as well." Her father muttered. "But also, when you return I want you to have the answer to a question I have for you."

Finally, Naruto looked back at her father.

"Hm? A question?" The blonde hummed.

""Have you found what you're looking for?" Is the question." The Yondaime revealed.

"Huh?" Naruto asked intelligently.

"You are going on this trip to find something. I'm sending you to find it, and it is not a tangible thing. It's something only you can find."

"What am I gonna be looking for?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know." He said. "What will you be looking for? You have three years to figure out what you're looking for and to find it. It's something that you can't touch, and only you can decide you want to find it. Only you can find it."

"Hm." Naruto hummed again. "Okay. I can do that."

Naruto could already tell it would be difficult to find what she was looking for, but she had a hunch already on what exactly she was going to be searching out.

"Get going then." Her dad said quietly.

Naruto nodded once.

"I'll be back in a week to say goodbye." The blonde promised.

Her dad just looked at her.

With a shake of her head, Naruto fled through the window.

_'That…' _She thought, feeling slightly giddy._ 'That definitely could have been worse.'_

She knew it to be true. She also knew things were going to be changing.

_'The only question is, for better, or for worse?'_

She'd strive for better.


	37. Get Angry Pansy

**I have absolutely no excuse.**

**The language in this chapter is atrocious. I also decided to write this because many people wanted to see Minato's thoughts, and I now realize that I'm not gonna get away without showing you guys something.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

**This chapter is dedicated to Doctor Winter and Sovereign2808**

* * *

Minato Namikaze stared at his daughter.

The perfect mixture between himself and her mother. Look wise at least. She was without a doubt her own person. Her hair was blonde again, and somehow it made the blue in her eyes just a bit brighter.

"Dad…?"

Minato stepped closer, and he smacked her across the face.

Honestly, he'd been numb since Naruto admitted to meeting her mother. The impact of his hand on his child's cheek was what brought feeling through him. It's what woke him up. Before he'd been going through the motions.

Minato blinked, watching Naruto's wide eyes as she watched him. The split in her lip that he knew she got from Shisui had reopened from his slap, and trickled crimson sluggishly.

"Are you entirely _daft?_" He found himself demanding. "Completely out of your damn mind? Do you have _any_ idea how many accounts of _treason_ you have committed against this village? A village you are _sworn_ to protect and serve with absolute loyalty? I could have you executed right now not even touching on the crimes committed by Karin and Harime during your little vacation."

What the hell was he saying?

That's not what he wanted to say!

"But, I cannot have you killed." He said, blue eyes narrowing, more at his own self than her. "You are a Jinchuuriki and I'm sure the consequences of your death do not have to be explained, not to mention there is no one suitable to take your place as the bijuu holder. As Karin is new and cannot be trusted with such dangerous power."

He didn't mean that. He'd never have her executed. He didn't care if she slaughtered half of the village, he would _never_ have her killed.

_'Oh, I see. This is what a Hokage is supposed to say.'_

In a way, he was still going through the motions. But he was no longer numb.

Naruto pursed her lips, and seemed to accept all that he was saying with a passive sort of maturity. Like she was so done that she couldn't bring herself to hurt at the words he was spewing. His own words hurt him more than the person they were directed at.

Or maybe it just wasn't fully registering yet. Minato wasn't giving her any real time to react.

Through their past experiences she had usually lashed out and cursed at him when he was being cold, but now she just looked at him.

But this time was different.

Naruto knew that he cared. She knew, but the rift that he'd wedged between them was keeping that knowledge from mattering.

Now, that rift, it was messing up this entire encounter. He was acting upon what he should be saying to his shinobi that had done wrong, and not like a father that had so many things he wanted to tell his daughter.

And simply, he didn't know how to interact with her. He was stressed beyond words, he'd found her suffering was greater than just insanity, and he finally saw exactly how worthless he was as a father.

Sure, Minato admitted to his mistakes before, but after seeing the extent of only _one_ of her nightmares- "The Hag" his mind supplied, he was at the complete and utter end of his rope. What else was she hiding in those closets? How did she feel treading through the graveyard of her perceived failures?

Good god all of those secrets… What the hell had he been doing?

Nothing.

The answer was absolutely nothing. He'd known that of course, he'd already had that epiphany, but now it was hitting him. The extent of his failures had been revealed. Not completely, and he knew that he couldn't even handle the complete truth, pathetically enough. But something had been shown to him.

It showed in the inherent sadness inside of his child's mind. It showed in the nightmares that Naruto had brought to life. It showed in the tiny, childish, corpse like body that Harime had dragged out of the shadows.

_'Do something you idiot.'_ He snarled at himself. _'Anything. Help her. Just fucking DO SOMETHING!'_

"But," Minato found himself whispering, leaving behind his rant about suitable Jinchuuriki. "Before you are a treasonous brat, before you are a bijuu holder, and before you are anything else, you are my daughter. You are my child."

Naruto's eyes got wider than he had ever seen them.

She was really surprised that he would say something like that. And he knew that her surprise was all his fault.

"I realise it's unfair to show favoritism, and I realise that it probably makes me an unsuitable Hokage for allowing you to go mostly unpunished, but frankly I don't care. The only people that would know would never betray you, or me."

Minato knew for certain Harime, Shisui, and Karin would never betray Naruto. And neither would they betray him. Shisui for obvious reasons, and Karin and Harime because they knew Naruto would never truly betray her father, despite certain things between them both in the past and present…

Minato wasn't sure how he knew Naruto would never betray him, despite him doing absolutely nothing to deserve her loyalty, he just… he just _knew._

_'This village is a cage.'_ Minato thought. _'Her cage. I… I'll open the gate for her. And though it's not much… she'll know freedom. Maybe she can find happiness somewhere out there…'_

"Dad…?" Naruto trailed off, uncertain.

With a frustrated sigh, Minato shoved his hand through his hair.

_'Even still, she needs to know there are consequences for her actions.'_ He reminded himself. _'I can't make it seem like she's just off the hook. She's never going to learn that way.'_

"That is not to say that you will not be punished. Because you _will_." Minato said, lips pursing.

Naruto winced, but didn't protest.

Minato gathered his nerves so that he could say what needed to be said.

"Well," Naruto finally drawled after a long moment. "What do you have in mind?"

"Leave." Minato ordered.

"W-what?" Naruto stuttered.

"You will leave this village." Minato restated. "You have one week to situate all the matters that you need to. And on this same day next week, you will leave Konoha."

Minato stared down into the blue eyes so similar to his own, yet so very different. He'd taken her completely aback. Honestly, he'd done the same to himself.

"You're serious." Naruto said, head cocking to the side slightly, her shock fading. "You're absolutely serious, aren't you."

She hadn't really phrased that as a question, but when she said it Minato finally realized that the answer was yes. He was completely serious.

"It won't be forever." Minato continued, not bothering to respond because now they both knew he was serious. "You will leave on a trip for three years under the supervision of a shinobi of my choosing. And you will send a report on your whereabouts on every first of the month until you return."

Minato watched his daughter as she watched him.

"And you _will_ return, Naruto." The Hokage said gravely.

_'I'm letting you go, but you have to come back.'_ He thought._ 'Someday you have to come home again, and when you return, the both of us need to have grown.'_

"Three years you will be gone. No more and no less. Do not make me send ANBU after you."

He wouldn't. But he could see Naruto wasn't sure of that. And that uncertainty was all he needed to know that she would come back.

Naruto tore her gaze away from her father's, looking out the window, into the evening orange glow that was slowly spreading across the village.

"You have one week to prepare for this trip." Minato repeated, realizing she wasn't going to speak first.

"Okay," Naruto allowed, still gazing out at Konoha. "You can send your guard dog with me, but can I take Karin? You said Harime will share this punishment, so that's chill. But I want Karin to come too."

He'd had a feeling that she would ask that. But really, he didn't mind. Karin wasn't a Konoha shinobi, nor would she ever be. That meant she was a civilian, and had the right to travel.

He didn't care if she left. As long as she did nothing to hurt Naruto, (which he seriously doubted after all that was hinted she did simply to help Naruto), things would be okay.

"Alright, I'll allow you Karin as well." Minato muttered. "But also, when you return I want you to have the answer to a question I have for you."

Finally, Naruto looked back at her father.

_'I am opening the cage.'_ He thought. _'But when you see freedom, you also need to feel truth. You need to find your truth. And I am sending you to find it alongside happiness.'_

"Hm? A question?" The blonde hummed.

""Have you found what you're looking for?" Is the question." The Yondaime revealed.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, brows furrowing.

That look made her look just like Kushina. It softened something inside of him at the same time that it made his heart clench.

"You are going on this trip to find something. I'm sending you to find it, and it is not a tangible thing. It's something only you can find."

_'I want you to find out who you are.'_ Minato thought. _'I want you to be happy, and be a person that you choose to be. Not the person that I moulded by ignoring you. Not the person that Danzo got ahold of…'_

"What am I gonna be looking for?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know." He lied. "What will you be looking for? You have three years to figure out what you're looking for and to find it. It's something that you can't touch, and only you can decide you want to find it. Only you can find it."

_'You know what I'm sending you to find.'_ Minato thought._ 'You know, Naruto. Just not consciously.'_

"Hm." Naruto hummed again. "Okay. I can do that."

_'Yes, yes you can.'_ His mind agreed.

"Get going then." Minato said quietly.

Naruto nodded once.

"I'll be back in a week to say goodbye." The blonde promised.

He just looked at her.

Minato wanted to say something reassuring, but would comfort from him really matter to her at this point? He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, that he loved her and that he sucked and _fuck him_ he was so _so_ sorry.

But he didn't say any of that. He just looked at her, and she looked right back. The lack of communication between them (his fault) was a huge reason why they had a nearly nonexistent relationship.

But not yet...

He wasn't going to say anything yet. Minato had a whole week to sort through the shattered remains of his ideals and thoughts before he could talk to her again.

When he gathered himself up, and she came to see him before she departed, he would know what to say to her.

With a shake of her head, Naruto fled through the window.

He let her go without a fuss.

Right now Minato was too raw for anything else but solitude. And yes, he was a coward for letting her leave his office at this point, but he was afraid he'd only make things worse if he acted without truly thinking.

The last time he'd done that, he behaved like he didn't care about his daughter, and he destroyed her childhood.

He wasn't going to mess up like that ever again.

* * *

Naruto closed and locked her front door after herself.

She took a big whiff of her home, the homesickness that had been lingering inside of her ever since she'd reached the in between settling.

_'Well, not like I'm gonna get to enjoy being here for much longer.'_ She thought._ 'Gotta get my shit together.'_

Should she pack now or tomorrow? She should probably go find Konohamaru. Her sudden absence had probably broken the little guy's heart.

Naruto looked up, finding two people she didn't recognize sitting on her couch.

"Uh, who are you?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.

The pale girl with brown hair blushed. The one beside her with platinum blonde hair crossed her arms indignantly.

"We're the cavalry." The blonde huffed.

"Shut up," The brunette snarled, standing up to bow politely. "You're Naruto, our unofficial boss, aren't you? I'm sorry. My name is Yakumo Kurama, and this is Shion. Harime recruited us for reasons we're not really sure of."

Naruto cocked her head to the side slightly. _'Unofficial boss? The hell does she think this is? The yakuza?'_

"Um, okay." She scratched the back of her head slightly. "Nice to meet you I guess."

"T-thank you." Yakumo stuttered awkwardly, sitting back down.

_'Okay, can anybody say weird?'_ Naruto wondered, ignoring the way that Shion rolled her eyes at their antics. _'You're trying to be a better person. Do not slap that girl.'_

"Yo, I'm Fū."

Immediately Naruto sensed something different about the green haired girl that was sitting at her kitchen counter, eating from an instant ramen cup.

"Bijuu holder?" Naruto blurted, blue eyes wide as she made her way closer. Yakumo and Shion went back to conversing amongst themselves.

"Yup!" Fū chirped, grinning. "I'm the Nanabi jinchūriki. What are you again? I'm sure I should know but I don't so… yeah."

"I'm the Kyuubi holder." Naruto found herself saying honestly.

_'How the hell, did Harime get her hands on a freaking tailed beast holder?'_ Naruto thought, aghast. _'We are definitely going to have a talk about boundaries…'_

"Oh? The strongest huh, Ms. Nine." Fū said, amused. "Well, this is just awesome. I'm glad I came along."

"What exactly are you doing in this village anyways?" Naruto asked. "Aren't you like, committing treason against your own by being here or something?"

"They think I'm dead so it's totally fine," The green haired girl waved away, orange eyes sparkling as she perked up. "Hey! You know, you're pretty twisted. Your clone eats people y'know."

"Yeah…" Naruto drawled. "She does tend to do that…"

"But like, ew." Fū said, stuffing her chopsticks full of ramen into her mouth before speaking again. "You're not a cannibal are you Naruto? 'Cause like, that'd be super messed up."

_'Please stop talking with your mouth full…'_

"No," Naruto deadpanned. "That would be disgusting. But I do sometimes drink blood. But only because my bloodline makes me anemic."

"What?" Fū exclaimed, eyes getting impossibly big. "You serious? Why is that?"

"I can weaponize my blood, so naturally that makes me anemic because I'm always losing it. But I only drink the blood of one person so you don't really have to worry about that."

"Huh," Fū hummed contemplatively. "That's chill then I guess."

"I guess," Naruto shrugged, already over the fact that this stranger knew so much about her and was in her house eating her ramen.

"So…" Fū drawled, eyeing her fellow jinchūriki, and_ wow_ was that weird to think about. Naruto had only met one other holder and that was Gaara. He wasn't exactly the talkative type, so it was bizarre to be in such close quarters (her quarters), with someone like her and just talk to them. No fighting, no killing, no scheming. Just… talking.

_'This is nice.'_ Naruto thought._ 'And yeah, I just got the boot, and I'm gonna have to go on some fucking quest to find some obscure bullshit, but this really is nice.'_

"Naruto?" Fū called.

"Hm?" Naruto blinked. "Yeah?"

"Can we be friends?" The other girl asked hopefully.

Naruto thought she should be shocked that someone would actually want that from her, but she wasn't. She knew that look in Fū's eyes, and she wasn't going to act like she didn't get it. She had no reason to say no, and really... she wouldn't mind having more friends.

The blonde snorted.

"I think we're already well on our way, Ms. Seven." She grinned lazily. "What, with you eating my ramen and stuff."

Fū snickered, holding out a hand.

"I like you." She decided.

Naruto took that hand and shook it.

"Wicked. 'Cause I like you too."

Naruto pulled her hand away after a moment.

"Alright, it was cool meeting you Fū, but Karin and Hari are waiting for me in the back."

"Yeah I know," Fū pouted. "They came in a while ago, Karin about ready to piss herself and Harime so mad she made _me_ want to piss _my_self."

The blonde released a startled bark of laughter that she felt (slightly) bad about. But the guilt didn't last long because Fū was smirking at the reaction she got.

"Come out and talk to me some more when everything's cool again okay?"

"Sure." Naruto said.

With that, the blonde made her way to the back of her home, towards her bedroom.

She twisted the knob and let herself into the perpetually dark room. Karin was lying on her bed, her head in Harime's lap as said other half of Naruto ran comforting fingers through her wild hair.

"What's going on in here?" Naruto drawled. "Can I snuggle too?"

Harime looked up, grinning something wicked that Naruto reflected right back at her.

"I'm petting Karin-chan because the Douchedaime made her cry." Harime informed her. "Only_ I_ get to make my cute little minions so scared they cry. He needs to back off."

"Man, it's good to be home." Naruto smirked.

"Naruto, your Dad is really mean…" Karin rasped, staring at her with shimmering crimson eyes.

"Oh don't I know it." Naruto grumbled flatly.

"What's this?" Harime wondered, head tilting to the side as she studied her blonde twin. "Somethin' isn't right."

"We've been given the metaphorical boot Harime." Naruto revealed. "We've got a week to tie up any loose ends you probably haven't told me about, and get the hell outta dodge."

Karin sat up like a bolt of lightning.

"You've been exiled!?" She shrieked.

"Whoa, chill girl." Naruto held up her hands. "Only for three years. I'm being sent on a quest to find my humanity and you and Harime are coming along for the ride."

"Find your humanity?" Harime echoed.

"I can come too?" Karin asked hopefully.

"Okay, maybe not that, but I'm supposed to be looking for something only I can find, and I need to have found it before we have to come back." Naruto admitted, and then, "And yes. You can come too Karin."

"Yay!" Karin cheered.

"Naru-chan I think we need to talk." Harime muttered. "Right now."

"What's wrong?" Naruto wondered.

"C'mon, we're gonna talk." Harime said, sliding out of the bed and walking past Naruto and out the door the blonde hadn't closed yet.

The redhead made her way across the hall to The Gallows.

"We'll be right out Karin." Harime promised after unlocking the seals on the door.

"It's okay," Karin whispered, looking uncertain. "Do what you have to you guys."

"Harime what's with this?" Naruto asked, even as she followed Harime.

Her other half closed and locked the Gallows door after her, turning to face her and crossing her arms, unimpressed.

Naruto huffed and mirrored her stance.

"What?"

"What happened after I left?" Harime demanded.

"Why were you so pissed when you came home that you scared Fū?" Naruto shot back.

"I was just annoyed 'cause Yondy told me to get out." Harime admitted.

"Wow, your annoyed face must really be something then." Naruto mused, amused.

"Stop trying to change the subject." Harime pouted. "I wanna know what happened. So tell me, will ya?"

Naruto sighed, but she told her anyway.

"So that's it?" Harime asked, gesturing a little helplessly at her twin. "You were just all "okay" and left?"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.

"I was mad when he told me to get out of his office," Harime drawled, as if explaining something to small, ignorant child. "You're telling me he told you to leave the village and you're not even slightly not okay with that?"

"I'm being the bigger person," Naruto explained. "I'm aiming for better, and I'm fine. Three years away from this village will be good for us."

"That's what you say… and maybe apart of you believes that… but aren't you slightly upset?" Harime asked. "The Yondaime found out some of your deepest secrets, and he didn't even address them. He didn't say anything. He just threw in your face that you've fucked up, and then told you to leave. Doesn't it… doesn't it _hurt_?"

"If it did, what would I do about?" Naruto asked flatly. "He's the Hokage, I'm a ninja. He says leave, I gotta leave. It's as simple as that."

"No." Harime shook her head. "It _isn't_ as simple as that. Get angry! Talk shit! I dunno, but do _something._ Just rolling over and taking it without a fight… it's not like you, Naruto."

"And so what if it's not?" The blonde sneered, finally discarding the bland mask she was hiding behind. "So what if it isn't like me? So I didn't throw a tantrum at something he did that sucks for _once_ in my life, and that's a problem?"

"YES!" Harime bellowed. "It's a problem because you're not venting and it's messing you up!"

"I'm_ already_ messed up!" Naruto spat, temper rising. "You're the one that knows that best after myself."

Harime flinched.

"I'm fucked up Harime." Naruto huffed, shoving a frustrated hand through her hair, shoulders sagging. "That's probably never really gonna change. Maybe get less pronounced, but that's how it is. But even if I'm messed up, that doesn't mean I'm never gonna have to grow up. I'm tired of being a brat about everything. It's easier when I think about things instead of just reacting. It makes it… it makes it hurt less. You get it? So don't… don't try and make me explode when I can be diffused, alright?"

"But you can't always just suck it up and "diffuse"." Harime argued hotly. "Sooner or later the "adult way" is gonna backfire, and you're gonna explode anyway, Naruto. And it's gonna be in a way that nobody can hold back. You may think that being passive is a good way, but for you, it's not. I _know_ you. You're not diffusing anything. You're stuffing it in a corner where it's gonna stay until it builds up so much you snap. And when you snap, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"I'm trying to be a better person." Naruto whispered.

"_Fuck_ that!" Harime snarled. "Is it making you happy? Is being better something you can live with? Because by the looks of it, growing up and being "better" is already proving to be a shit road for you, Naruto."

"What do you want from me?" The blonde exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

"I want you to be happy." Harime returned calmly, taking her other half completely aback. "And you're not. Be a person that you can be proud of, Naruto. A person that won't make you miserable too. Right now, you're trying to be somebody you never can be, because it's who you think is "good". You don't ever have to be good Naru. Just be a you that _you_ like."

"Yeah?" Naruto breathed. "Well who the hell is that?"

"I dunno," Harime shrugged. "But it's not the pansy ass bitch that I'm talking to right now."

The following silence was pierced by a bark of laughter.

Naruto couldn't help it. That statement was so unexpected yet so needed she couldn't help but laugh at it.

"Okay," The blonde allowed, eyeing Harime in equal parts amusement and gratitude. Saying with her eyes what she couldn't aloud.

Harime's identical eyes crinkled as she grinned. The message was received.

"You're welcome!" She chirped.

Naruto shoved her hands in her pockets as she studied her look alike.

"What now?" The blonde muttered.

"Now?" Harime echoed.

Naruto nodded, and Harime beamed brighter.

"Now, you get pissed."

* * *

Karin stood outside of The Gallows, her ear pressed against the door. She couldn't hear a damn thing but they'd been in there for a while.

Suddenly, Naruto cried out in wordless rage, and she flinched.

"Who does he think he is?" Naruto demanded loudly, making Karin grimace, caught off guard.

"I know right?" Harime egged her on. "He's got some nerve doesn't he?"

"You're damn skippy!" Naruto yelled. "Fuck him! That fuckin', fuckin' shithead!"

"Yeah? What else?"

"Tellin' me to leave with that stupid blank ass face like, are you serious? You fuckin' serious man?"

"How _dare_ he?" Harime huffed.

"I KNOW!" Naruto exclaimed. "Isn't he the absolute worst?"

"The fuckin' worst!" Harime agreed.

Karin pulled away from the door as Naruto began cursing like there was no tomorrow, Harime yelling and hyping her up as her voice became angrier and angrier. And Karin knew all of it wasn't for the purpose of getting Naruto to vent. The other redhead generally felt indignant on Naruto's behalf.

"Well…" Karin drawled. "I think things are gonna be fine after this."

With a shrug, Karin got up and went to the kitchen in search of some instant ramen.

* * *

Naruto had showered, packed her gear into scrolls and donned a high collared black shirt, matching pants, and red sandals. She pulled her hair into a low tail and made her way into the living room. Harime looked up from her position on the couch next to Fū.

"Naru, where are you off to?" Her twin asked.

Naruto popped a peppermint into her mouth.

"I'm going to see my friend." She said. "I wanna start sketching some stuff for new ink."

Harime looked down at her arms, which bore Naruto's body art and seals.

"You want these back?"

"Ew, ew _no_." Naruto grimaced. "Let's just not okay? I'll be back before tomorrow. Probably."

Harime grinned sharply.

"Oh you're no fun Naru-chan." She giggled darkly.

Naruto rolled her eyes.

"Freak." She muttered.

"Aw you're leaving?" Fū whined. "You said we were gonna talk some more."

"We are," Naruto promised. "I just got somethin' I wanna do."

"Oh okay," Fū said. "See you later then."

"Later boss." Shion called.

Yakumo waved instead of speaking.

Karin pulled her head out of the fridge, calling, "Come back soon Naru."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto waved away, smiling.

The blonde closed and locked the door behind her.

"So what happened next?" Fū asked. "How'd you get this body Hari?"

"Okay and then…" Harime began anew.

Their voices faded as the blonde walked away.

Naruto's house seemed oddly homely all of a sudden…

_'I like it.'_ She decided.

* * *

Naruto roamed through the village's red light district.

Well, she wasn't really roaming, she had a destination in mind.

She felt a lot more centered after cursing up a storm and venting her hidden frustration. Now she wanted to see a friend that she hadn't for a while. The blonde had found a companion in him two years prior after killing the man that had betrayed him and fled the village with a sacred artifact.

The boy had been a Genin then, and his sensei had used him to steal one of the village's treasures. Danzo had sent Naruto to retrieve said treasure from the traitors, and she had. But when she found that the Genin boy had been a mere pawn, she'd killed the traitorous shinobi that manipulated him and smuggled the boy back into the village with her.

He was doing rather well for himself presently. Only fifteen and owned his very own business.

Naruto was going to see him so that she could gather herself. They both liked to draw and he was actually the one that had helped design some of the tattoos that she used to have.

The evening was hanging heavy overhead, a canvas painted with swirls of pink, orange, gold, and yellow. The night life was getting started, people milling about, chattering, setting up stands for little knick knacks. Naruto bent into an alleyway at her left, stepping over trash and scattered about food carcasses.

The building on the right of the alley was the one that she desired to enter. There was a black iron rimmed balcony two stories above, and as soon as the occupants on said balcony spotted her, they began crooning and catcalling.

"Lookie lookie, girls! It's our little princess!" One of the scantily clad women cooed, ruby glossed lips pulling into a leer.

Naruto paused.

"Oh Naru it's been so _long_," A brunette whined. "Come up to play, will you darling?"

"My little Naruto there you are!" Another called, smirking sin at the young teen below. "You look stressed. Come up and let us help you _unwind..._"

The other women spoke of their agreement, and despite how it should've made her uncomfortable to be standing under a whorehouse, Naruto grinned.

"Sorry ladies it's still a no," She called up. "I'm underaged you know."

Though that last statement was complete bull because Naruto was a firm believer of being old enough to do whatever adults did if you were old enough to take a life. The blonde really just wasn't interested in those kinds of activities.

"It'll be our secret~" A busty woman said in a stage whisper, her peers nodding in agreement, holding fingers to their lips in a hush hush manner.

Naruto rolled her eyes fondly.

"I'm going to the basement." She said. "You guys know I never go upstairs."

"Spoilsport!" One pouted.

"We'll get you to play one day, Naru-chan…" Promised another.

"Weirdos." The blonde chuckled, continuing to walk on to just under the balcony.

Finally, Naruto reached two black painted iron banisters, which framed a stone stairwell that led down to a heavy bolted basement door. Her destination was in the basement of the whorehouse, and it was a completely separate establishment.

The door had a sign on it, which was laminated and kept there by what looked like red stitching. The sign simply read: 痛い, which meant painful, something hurts, or is sore.

It was the name of the person who owned the place as well as the place itself. It was a name that Naruto had given to the owner when they decided they wanted to be someone else.

Naruto descended the staircase, and knocked on the door. There was no handle, and it could only be opened from the other side by being pushed. Their was another entrance through the establishment upstairs, but Naruto didn't want to walk through there for obvious reasons.

The girls would never let her leave.

The blonde knocked three more times and then stepped back so that she wouldn't get smacked with the door.

Said heavy bolted thing swung open after a few moments, held ajar by a young man that was a few inches taller than Naruto with diamond pierced knuckles and silver painted fingernails.

He had shoulder length inky hair, the left side shaved away, and bangs that shielded the right side of his face. His skin was tan but paling from being inside so often, his irises a bright, shimmering, hazel-gold, and the sclera as black as night. He had a silver labret piercing, and was wearing a sleeveless black shirt, his strong, lithe arms sleeved by bold and swirling tattoos alike. He also wore black harem pants, and his feet were bare, showing off his silver painted toenails.

Naruto rose a hand in greeting.

"Yo, Itai."

The teen holding the door stared at her for a long moment, and then his confused face lit up with recognition and delight.

"Naruto!" He exclaimed.

The blonde found herself grinning in return when he opened the door wider.

"Well what are you doing just standing there? Get in here you bitch!" Itai laughed.

Naruto snorted a laugh and walked in, onto the polished marble floors. Itai pulled the door closed behind her and it clicked shut audibly.

Naruto was looking around, and like she remembered, there were two rows of glass display cases that showed off the different pieces of jewelry Itai sold for various types of piercings. Behind the two rows were two large black leather setups. One was a tattoo chair, and the other a tattoo table.

The walls behind the tattoo area were large mirrors, and across from said area were several mannequin torsos that displayed masks of various shapes and styles. Most were Naruto's designs, which she gave to Itai to sell when she found she had no use for them, as she designed them for fun.

The ceiling was covered in grim art, sheets of paper of her drawings that Itai tattooed onto people if they so wished. His own art mingled with hers, noticeably less twisted, and more ironic and tragic.

"I didn't recognize you without your mask." Itai said, pulling the blonde from her thoughts so that she turned to face him.

He had his arms crossed over his chest and his head was cocked to the side.

"Your hair's changed too. Blonde looks good on you."

"Thanks. It's natural in a sense too." Naruto grinned.

"I'll bet," He allowed. "You're strange like that. But you're not gonna convince me all that ink you had on you just up and disappeared _naturally_."

Naruto looked down at her naked arms, already missing her seals and body art.

"Yeah," She drawled, looking up at him. "Somebody else is wearing that ink. It suits her though, so no worries."

"You telling me somebody is walking around wearing your skin?" Itai asked incredulously, disturbed.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "But, she's like, my sister or something so I'm chill about it. She didn't start out trying to wear my skin if that helps. She was just trying to make me stronger."

"You're not making any sense." Itai deadpanned.

"I know," Naruto laughed, running a hand through her hair. "A lot of thing's make no freaking sense anymore dude. Everything's so fucked up and now I have a week to leave and just… shit man."

Itai bit his lip, uncrossing his arms so that he could move closer to her.

"What's up Naruto?" He asked, gold eyes earnest. "Tell me how I can help."

"I just… damn dude. I feel like such a chick right now!" She complained, smacking a hand to her forehead.

Itai snorted.

"You _are_ a chick. Now tell me what's wrong."

"It's a long story." Naruto warned, eyeing him. "I have to start to before I even met you. You up for that?"

Itai shrugged.

"There's not anything that you could say that would make me ditch you, if that's what you're worried about." He said, smiling slightly.

"Can you help me start sketching the designs for my new ink?" Naruto asked quietly.

Itai beamed, and took her hand in his, pulling her further into his studio and towards a desk in the very back corner of the room.

"Sure." He said. "We can even draw while you tell me what's up."

Naruto followed him without complaint.

"Thanks man."

"Anything Naruto."

* * *

**No, Itai is not an OC, but he is OOC. So yay! Naruto is getting to vent and she's getting new ink. Fun fun times huh?**


End file.
